Spare parts major Racaero to open unit in Bangalore

The French aircraft spare parts maker Recaero will open its own plant at Bidadi, about 30 km from Bangalore.

Racaero supplies spare parts to aeroplane makers, including Airbus. The 1,000 square metre facility is the first extension of the firm's facility and will cost it 1 million euros, including the machinery. The facility is only 25 per cent ready now.

"The first extension of the plant will be fully ready in 2008," said Thierry Pobeau, chairman and CEO, Racaero, who described the facility as being very beautiful and said "It is prettier than the French plant."

Racaero's French team is now more confident of taking on more contracts and hence it has had to extend its manufacturing facilities. The group, with a turnover of 20 million euros, sees its Indian facility growing to be as big as its unit in France.

The plant, on a 3.5 acre land was bought from Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board, expected to be operational by the year-end, will help the firm meet the rising demand from the new contracts that it has been securing. The firm, earlier had its plant at Peenya Industrial Estate, now employs 20 persons at Bidadi. The plant, which has five machines now, will finally have 20 machines when it is ready. The machines, which have been set up at the plant now are for machining, sheet metal bending and others.

Racaero will finally have 135 people for the plant, with 45 persons working in one shift. Even as every firm and sector is crying hoarse over the lack of the right kind of manpower, Racaero does not seem that worried. It has the key persons in place, including the assistant works manager and the works manager.

The firm is now on the lookout for machine operators with basic training. It sees the self financing Government Toolroom & Training Centre (GTTC) in Bangalore as a place to find well-trained personnel. GTTC supplies spares for satellites and to HAL.

Though the firm will extend its operations, it will not dump its sub-contractors. It has 19 sub-contractors and they will have 40 per cent of the works of Racaero sub-contracted to them. The rest, of course, will be done by the firm in-house. "We don't want to give up our contractors since they are very good," said Pobeau.

In 2006, Racaero India's turnover was Rs 2.6 crore and by 2007 it sees its revenues at Rs 6 crore and in six years it sees its revenues touching at Rs 30 crore.