The Hindu Business Line : Piper setting up aerospace data centre in Bangalore

The details
For BAeHAL this would be the first civil documentation on a large scale; and its first offshoring task.
The company has, so far, supported several defence projects including HAL's Jaguar, the advanced light helicopter and the light combat aircraft.

Bangalore , Nov. 5

Offshored aerospace technical documentation and data management has now taken a solid shape with the UK major, Piper Group Plc, setting up a centre of excellence at the BAeHAL Software Ltd premises, Bangalore.

Piper is a £12-million tier-1 technical information supplier to Airbus, Rolls Royce and nearly a dozen global aerospace companies.

Starting with works Airbus, the tie-up will translate into new and large contracts from its other clients, the BAeHAL CEO, Dr C. Subramanian, and Piper's Business Manager, Mr Paul Phelpstead, said at the launch of the centre here on Friday.

Staff strength

The centre will start with 30 engineers and ramp up the strength to 90-120 technical authors and illustrators in the next 6-12 months, Dr Subramanian said.

BAeHAL has invested around Rs 25 lakh in the new set-up.

Piper would train them over the next 9-12 months in data management and support the centre with its marketing skills to get new orders, said Mr Mike Armstrong, Executive VP-India, BAe Systems.

BAe is the parent of Piper as well as partners HAL in the decade-old 40:49 joint venture, BAeHAL.

TD, a multi-million-dollar global business, is a critical need of aircraft manufacturers and aerospace activities, and involves technical illustrations, manuals for operation, maintenance, repair and overhaul of aircraft. It accounts for 4-10 per cent of the cost of the aircraft.

Aircraft meant for each country and airline is different and the documentation of each of their manuals is vital.

While Dr Subramanian said BAeHAL expects to now grow from the projected 2007 turnover of Rs 50 crore to a target of Rs 150-200 crore in the next three years, Mr Philstead said the Bangalore centre gave Piper a headstart over others amidst the intense competition in the UK for technical documentation.

Technical documentation forms over 90 per cent of Piper's revenues.

For BAeHAL, which has largely worked on HAL's defence projects, this would be the first civil documentation on a large scale; and its first offshoring task.

It was betting on works for A380, A350, A340 and even advanced automobiles business and the unfolding MRO business in the country.

The company has so far supported several defence projects including HAL's Jaguar, the advanced light helicopter and the light combat aircraft.

It could expect orders for the future projects such as the many defence upgrades and the upcoming intermediate jet trainer among others, said Mr Ashok Baweja, Chairman of its majority owner HAL.

BAeHAL has been offering IT and IT-enabled services to aerospace companies in India, the UK and Europe, including in testing of full authority digital electronic control software for the engine of A380 aircraft.

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