Global technology leader Thales has a clear industrial footprint plan for India that is not a "conceptual idea", the head of its operations in the country says.
"Our industrial footprint plan is clear. It is not a conceptual idea," Thales India Country Director Eric Lenseigne told IANS ahead of the DefExpo 2014 military hardware show that opens here next week.
"This is how we develop an industrial footprint in the developing world. We bring in technology and share it with the local players," Lenseigne said of the company that set up operations in India in 1953. Today, the company has over 300 employees operating out of its offices in Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Chennai, Kochi, Vishakhapatnam and Gwalior to serve the Indian Army, Air Force, Navy and civil customers.
"There is enough business for us to do two to three times more," he added, of the company that has been doing business of just under 300 million euros in India in the last 12 years.
About the defence exposition, Lenseigne said: "Since fast-growing markets like India form a key part of our renewed global strategy, Defexpo 2014 will provide an excellent platform for networking and knowledge-sharing with our customers, both existing and potential, government representatives, partners and industry experts."
"We have always endeavoured to partner with the Indian industry and provide long-term support for our products. We continually seek to bolster our presence here and propose products that are specially adapted to the specific needs of our customers in the land, air, naval and civil security domains," he added.
Toward this end, Thales will focus on six key areas: Advanced Air Defence, C4I solutions, Land and Naval Communications, Optronics, Underwater Warfare and Electronic Warfare.
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Thales's technologies in the combat aircraft, surveillance radars, rockets and surface attack systems domains will also be presented.
Thales India already actively partners with Indian industry and proactively shares knowledge, technical know-how and expertise. Taking this mandate forward, the company has created Joint Ventures with Samtel, BEL, among others. Thales is also working on delivering its pioneering CBTC solution for the Hyderabad Metro Rail project.
In 2012, Thales generated revenues of 14.2 billion euros with 65,000 employees - 25,000 of them engineers - in 56 countries.