Only incremental investment from here on, ready for large orders: Kaustubh Shukla

Mumbai, February 26:

Godrej Aerospace (GA), a business unit of Godrej & Boyce, which had recently contributed to the ISROs successful launch of 104 satellites by manufacturing critical systems and components for the launch vehicle, is ready with a 200 crore facility for taking on new orders from Aerospace and Defence sector.

For ISROs launch, GA had manufactured second stage liquid propulsion engine and the fourth stage reaction control system components for the launch vehicle.

Since 1985, the company has been working with government agencies such as Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and ISRO. Later, it became a supplier to Brahmos Aerospace for its missile programme.

It has also been a top vendor for ancillary supplies to global Defence and Aerospace majors such as Rolls Royce, GE and Snecma.

Kaustubh Shukla, Chief Operating Officer (Industrial Products) of Godrej & Boyce, told BusinessLine that Godrej & Boyce has been building capacities to produce larger numbers of equipment and today it is completely geared for fresh orders from ISRO and Ministry of Defence.

Shukla said that building manufacturing capabilities have taken many years for the company, as it believes that extensive experience is required for working with advance materials such as Inconel (nickel-chromium super alloy) and Titanium, which are extensively used in global Defence and Aerospace industries.

Capital equipment for making high-tech components can be bought easily on the market, but the expertise lies in knowing what to make and how to make those parts.

Over the years the company has gathered a huge amount of knowledge, manpower and certifications and now it is ready to accept new challenges, he said. Shukla said that with 200 crore investments made by the company, a major phase of the investment is over. Only incremental investments will be made for buying required capital equipment.

We are no longer just a precisions component maker, today we can handle the whole value chain from machining, surface treatment to the assembly of mission critical components for the sectors, he said.

He pointed that making parts for a missile is a one-shot affair, but making parts for civil aviation companies is far more challenging as the lives of hundreds of people depend on those parts, which may be in service for six years in an aircraft. From space, defence to civil aviation, Godrej & Boyce is present in all these sectors.

(This article was published on February 26, 2017)

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Godrej Aerospace readies 200-crore facility for defence business orders - Hindu Business Line