Snecma Aerospace to up headcount

Snecma Aerospace India (SAI), the R&D centre of Snecma in India, is targeting a 200 per cent growth in the current fiscal. The centre will also shift into a new premises and double its workforce to about 400 by 2006.

Snecma set up its R&D unit in India in May 2002 for developing components of aero-engines and aircraft equipment and embedded software initially to cater to their worldwide operations.

Speaking at the second anniversary of the centre, Sebastien Jaulerry, managing director, Snecma Aerospace India, said: "Snecma is very satisfied with the development of its subsidiary since its growth is well ahead of the initial projection. SAI is run as a profit centre and in 2004-05, it should increase its turnover by 200 per cent. It will have to shift at the end of the year into new premises so that it can double its workforce by 2006."

Jaulerry is the newly appointed managing director. He succeeds Vincent Gorry who is now Snecma national executive for South Asia.

Gorry stated: "SAI was successful in accomplishing its initial objectives of establishing a solid base around well-identified and complementary centers of excellence. From a buyer-seller relationship, our presence in India has evolved towards a two-way approach, the co-development of the Shakti engine with HAL being one of the most significant example. Conceiving and producing in India for our needs and those of the Indian Aerospace Industry is our latest move. Snecma Aerospace India is a significant step in that direction. We regard India as a major destination."

After it reaches certain maturity, SAI is expected to act as a catalyst for a broader cooperation between Snecma and the Indian Aerospace community. SAI intends to reach a stage when it would be able to propose its services to HAL and various DRDO establishments for some of the most prestigious Indian programmes.

Currently, SAI caters to the need of Snecma worldwide operations and is involved in high profile projects such as the CFM56 family of engines, the GP7000 engine for the Airbus A380, the development of equipment for the Boeing 7E7 and the SM146 engine for the Sukhoi Russian Regional Jet.

The group's prestigious customer list encompasses all of today's leading aircraft manufacturers and prime contractors, including Airbus, Arianespace, Boeing, BAE Systems, Bombardier, Dassault Aviation, EADS, Embraer, Eurocopter, Eurofighter, HAL, Lockheed Martin, Raytheon and Sikorsky, as well as 1,700 airlines.