With a new government at the centre and a review of policy and regulations around civilian aerospace and infrastructure sector, UK-based Rolls-Royce and France-based Alstom are cautiously optimistic on the Indian market.
Kishore Jayaraman, President, Rolls-Royce India and South Asia and Sunand Sharma, Adviser, Alstom India South Asia, attempt to predict what the changes could mean for India’s growth in the coming years and also the future plans of their companies.
Rolls Royce: India needs a strategy
Rolls-Royce, a world leader in manufacturing and support services for aircraft engines in the civil aerospace business, is also actively involved in manufacture and supply of defence equipment since 1932.
In India, Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines power Airbus A330 and A320 aircrafts for leading domestic airlines.
Jayaraman says the flagship British engineering group has had a rich association with India. “We have been in India for more than 80 years, now in terms of aerospace. We have done joint ventures, technology transfers, capability building with the country.”
Rolls-Royce has two main business segments, aerospace and marine & industrial power systems. While aerospace comprises civil and defence aerospace, MIPS include marine, energy & nuclear power systems (RRPS).
Recently, a ban was lifted by the NDA government that decided not to blacklist Rolls Royce despite an on-going probe against the global engine manufacturer as it wanted to ensure the availability of spares and ancillaries for the Jaguar fighter fleet.
Jayaraman says the obvious challenge faced by the country is acute shortage of fuel. “It is fuel that is stopping progress. The non-operational power plants need to be revived at the earliest.”
He further says that the company can make the best out of Indian resources. “We want to collaborate with private and public sector companies, develop their technology, manufacture using their technology here, and figure out if the technology can be taken out in the globe,” adds Jayaraman.
Alstom’s India connection
French power equipment maker Alstom, on the other hand, seems confident of a revival in terms of orders from India’s power sector.
Alstom has been associated with India’s power sector for over a century and has been a part of the country’s economic history. It also has a significant presence in the transport sector in India providing railway equipment and technology solutions. Alstom combines local presence and knowledge with global resources to deliver world–class services and solutions.
Sunand Sharma, adviser of Alstom India South Asia, said: “India, in the past six years, has established large indigenous manufacturing capabilities for very large power plants. They are adequate to supply between 20-30,000 MW locally.”
Sharma also said that fuel shortage is a major concern for the industry. He, however, is optimistic that with a new government at the centre, it should not take long to restart projects and resolve issues by plugging all the major gaps.
Speaking on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Make In India” plan. Sharma said: “We have been here for 100 years. In the past six years, we have made fairly large investments in transformer factories, switch gear factories and metro coach factory. So, for us (Alstom), Make in India is extremely good,” adds Sharma.
