Honeywell eyes rapid growth

How much can we advance with the help of technology? "Sky is the limit," says Honeywell. The Honeywell technology forum had answers to all the questions that one could imagine: Can technology prevent airplanes from flying into buildings, or how can a thin sheet of fibre stop a speeding bullet fired from an AK-47 (Automatic Kalashnikov 1947)?

The answer is a big "yes". "Honeywell does it" is what the top management of Honeywell, a $26 billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, had to say. The company serves customers worldwide in aerospace products and services to control technologies for building, home and industry, automotive products, turbochargers and speciality materials.

It has a technology solutions operation called Honeywell Technology Solutions Lab (HTSL) headquartered in Bangalore. This is considered as a centre of excellence for core engineering and there are similar centres in Shanghai, Beijing, Singapore, Phoenix, Minneapolis and Madurai.

HTSL has about 3,700 people of whom 75 per cent are engineers. The company aims to cross the 4,000 mark by March next year.

"The induction process keeps on going as our selection rate is very low - one out of every 152 applicants is selected," says Krishna Mikkilineni, vice president and managing director, HTSL. It also has academic tie-ups with IITs where joint research is done.

Honeywell India revenue at present is $500 million and the company aims to double it to $1 billion by 2010. For this, the company sees the advances in computing and miniaturisation as key drivers.

"Rapid innovation and short development life cycle will also fuel our growth," says Ashwani Gupta, country manager and managing director, Honeywell India.

Honeywell is also planning to set up assembly lines for its products at its Indian facilities. Presently, the company imports access control devices, video systems and other products for the Indian market from its facility in Shenzen, China.

The technology forum showcased the wide area of operation of Honeywell. From spectar fibre, an ultra-high molecular weight polyehtylene, one of the strongest and lightest fibres which is 10 times stronger than steel and lighter than water to supplying main wheel and brakes for the next generation Boeing 747 family, Honeywell is divided vertically into four segments - Aerospace, Automation and Control Solutions, Special Materials and Transportion.

The highest revenue comes from the aerospace segment"" $9 billion. Honeywell supplies aircraft engines and avionics for airlines and spacecraft. In the automation and controls segment where the company has revenues of $8 billion, it makes safety and security systems and acccess control equipment.

At present, engineers at Honeywell are exploring additional ways to improve the Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning Systems (EGPWS) which can be utilised to increase flight safety and security. Honeywell is one of the biggest providers of technology for Airbus and has supplied Airbus' A 380, the world largest passenger plane, its flight management system (FMS).

The revenue from the A 380 FMS business is estimated to be $200 million. Honeywell is also one of the largest suppliers of bullet proof vests for the armed forces.