Tata has now supplied a total of 15 airframes to the US based Sikorsky that are designed for Sikorsky S-92 twin-engine helicopters.

Arvind Walia, the Air Vice Marshal (retd) Arvind Walia, who is the regional executive for India and South Asia at Sikorsky said that the company has supplied the cockpits, engines, systems and rotors and the US company has started fitting them in the helicopters.

After the components are fixed, the helicopters will be supplied to customers around the world. The helicopters, which can be used for both civil and military purposes, is now being customized for Lider Aviacao of Brazil. The company uses helicopters for various uses including servicing offshore oil installations.

Sikorsky has a joint venture with Tata group called TARA that manufactures about 4,300 components for the Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) in Hyderabad. Sikorsky holds a 26 per cent stake in the joint venture and the Tata group has the remaining 76 per cent stake.

TASL in turn manufactures cabins and attaches components from TARA and supplies them to Sikorsky facility at Coatsville in Pennsylvania in the US. The company officials have said that they are aiming to make India a manufacturing hub in the coming years depending upon international and regional demand for the products.