Make in India: Tata, Lockheed Martin's new facility in Hyderabad to increase indigenisation

In a boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Make in India' initiative, American defence technology major Lockheed Martin and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, under their joint venture Tata Lockheed Martin Aerostructures Limited (TLMAL), have inaugurated a 4,700 square-meter metal-to-metal bonding facility at Adibatla, Hyderabad.

Over 80 skilled employees will work in the facility, which can be expanded in future, a company statement said. It added the new facility will create skilled jobs in manufacturing, besides providing on-the-job training.

The facility will enable the company to use its technology across manufacturing programmes for complex aerostructures manufacturing and increased indigenisation.

Apart from this, TLMAL has transitioned the production of around 2,000 Lockheed c-130 empennage parts to Tata Sikorsky Aerospace Ltd (TSAL), another Tata-Lockheed Martin venture located here. These were earlier made outside India.

The joint venture, TLMAL, employs over 500 people and produces 24 C-130 empennages per year. The company said to date as many as 85TLMAL-built empennages have been installed on C-130Js delivered by Lockheed Martin to its global customers, including the Indian Air Force. Overall, 400 C-130Js have been delivered in 18 countries by the company, it said.

"Given the C-130J's worldwide presence, it is fitting that one of its core components is the result of a strong global partnership that we have with India, Tata and TLMAL," said George Shultz, Vice President and General Manager of Air Mobility and Maritime Missions at Lockheed Martin.

"It is a matter of pride that aerostructure components made at our Indian facility are an integral part of the world's most advanced tactical airlifter being used by the Indian Air Force," said Sukaran Singh, MD & CEO, Tata Advanced Systems Limited.

Tata Advanced Systems Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, which works on providing integrated solutions for aerospace, defence and homeland security, while Lockheed Martin is engaged in research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services.