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Pawan Hans plans four MRO firms ahead of proposed IPO
Sanjay Kumar, general manager of the western region at Pawan Hans, said the firm is starting MRO in Delhi and at Juhu airport in Mumbai
Mumbai: State-run Pawan Hans Ltd is planning to set up four maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) firms as a part of its diversification plan, even as India’s largest helicopter operating firm is exploring an initial public offer (IPO).
Sanjay Kumar, general manager of the western region at Pawan Hans, said the firm is starting MRO in Delhi and at Juhu airport in Mumbai.
“We also have a plan to extend it to other parts of the country in northeast in Guwahati and one in southern region. Presently, there is no MRO facility for helicopters and it’s a big initiative,” Kumar said, talking on the sidelines of the Make In India event in Mumbai on Wednesday.
According to industry estimates, Indian airlines and helicopters spend around ₹ 5,000 crore a year and 90% of this is spent outside India—in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia and Dubai.
Kumar said the lack of availability of hangar space and workshop buildings at important airports are acting as a deterrent to the MRO business.
“This limits the ability of MROs to tap into the largest potential market of helicopters operating with flying distance,” Kumar said.
India currently has about 300 civilian helicopters.
Kumar said Pawan Hans had flown over 500,000 hours with more than 19 lakh landings, when asked about recent accidents.
In November, a helicopter owned by Pawan Hans Ltd crashed near Bombay High, an oilfield 162 km off the coast of Mumbai, while on a night-landing practice run.
That was the second such mishap in three months. On 4 August, a Pawan Hans helicopter with three people on board went missing near Tirap in Arunachal Pradesh.
“At Pawan Hans, safety assumes paramount importance,” Kumar said.
Last month, the ministry of civil aviation had said the prospects for an IPO were being reviewed with investment banking firm SBI Capital Markets Ltd, and it is working on a plan for the same in a time-bound manner.
Pawan Hans has been making profit since 1992 and has paid a dividend of ₹ 223.69 crore as on 2014-15.
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First Published:18 Feb 2016, 11:04 AM IST
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