Rishi Malhotra, General Manager, Bell India
SP’s ShowNews (SP’s): Can you give a brief background of your company’s association with India?
Rishi Malhotra (Malhotra): We started operations in India in 1995 with a small liaison office in New Delhi. Today we have opened new offices in Bengaluru and Mumbai and have grown to more than 100 employees. The technology centre located in Bengaluru called Textron India Pvt Ltd is a shared Textron facility that provides high-tech engineering and technological solutions for many Textron business units. Bell Helicopter has over 125 engineers with varying expertise including design, analysis, modelling, simulation, systems engineering, mechanical engineering, manufacturing engineering, sourcing and quality assurance. This cross-functional team supports all Bell production models, research and new product development.
SP’s: What are the activities you are focusing on currently and how do you foresee the future of association?
Malhotra: We recently entered an agreement to explore establishing DTL as a second source for cabin assembly, airframe components, and details for the Bell 407. Work with DTL will begin early this year for price and delivery schedules, including procurement. The estimated business volume of the work proposed is approximately $243 million over a ten-year period. This agreement provides Bell flexibility and a cost-effective second source. This helps us build manufacturing capacity to support growing demand for our commercial helicopters and the introduction of the Bell 525 Relentless.
SP’s: Would you like to elaborate on any specific plans for the country in next five to ten years?
Malhotra: Bell Helicopter has made some significant investments in our Indian footprint over the last few years. Part of our global strategy is to look at joint Bell and Cessna facilities to leverage capital and resources as we did in Singapore. We are continuing to assess the whether a joint maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) makes sense in India.
India’s military helicopter requirements over the next ten years are tremendous. We see significant opportunities to enter the military space and these programmes will generate a large offset obligation. Bell Helicopter continues to assess potential manufacturing partnerships to assist in meeting these offset requirements and become potential suppliers for growing Asia-Pacific and global demand for our products.
SP’s: What makes you feel that India is an exciting market?
Malhotra: India has always been an important market for Bell Helicopter. We are the leader in the Indian civil market, which speaks volumes about our products and dedication to serving our customers in India. Although there has been some softness in the Indian market over the past two years in line with the global economy, we are now seeing indications that the market is strengthening. There is tremendous opportunity in India for both civil and military sales and Bell Helicopter will continue focusing on meeting our customer’s mission requirements.
SP’s: What capabilities do you plan to showcase during Aero India 2013?
Malhotra: Bell Helicopter will have a strong presence at Aero India 2013 as we continue to grow our footprint and expand our business in the growing Indian aviation marketplace. We will fly demonstration flights in the Bell 429 and 407AH. Both aircraft will also be on static display. The Bell 429 and 407AH have generated a great deal of interest throughout the world during their demonstration tours, and are ideally suited to meet the mission needs of our customers in India. Additionally, we will showcase scale models of the Bell 429, UH-1Y, AH-1Z, and V-22 Osprey in our booth. We are excited to be a part of Aero India and highlight the commitments and investment we are making to position ourselves to serve this important market.
SP’s: Would you like to refer to any important innovation of your company at this point?
Malhotra: Bell Helicopter has a range of products that offer a great fit for India’s requirements. The Bell 407GX and 407AH (armed variant) are made to operate in rugged conditions at high altitude; the Bell 407 has landed at the density altitude 23,000 ft in the India Himalayas region. The AH-1Z and UH-1Y offer unmatched reliability and hot and high performance in India’s diverse geography and climate. Given India’s vast land mass, large coastal lines and unique operational needs, the V-22 Osprey offers exceptional multi-mission capabilities for border protection and special mission operations.
The Bell 429 is truly tailor-made for India. This new light twin is already very popular with corporate as well as charter companies because of the cabin comfort, low noise and fast cruise speed. When India’s Gagan project is commissioned later this year, Bell 429 pilots will be able to fly in low visibility conditions with utmost safety with the help of the Bell 429’s LPV capability (hands off instrument approach capability).
In 2012, Bell Helicopter unveiled the 525 Relentless which defines new “Super Medium” product class, positioned at the upper end of the medium class market, providing game-changing capabilities. We are making steady progress towards a first flight in 2014 followed by an aggressive schedule for flight testing, certification and production. The 525 Relentless boasts:
