Sukaran Singh appointed MD, CEO of Tata Advanced Systems

Sukaran Singh has been appointed the managing director and chief executive officer of Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), Tata Sons Ltd’s subsidiary for its aerospace and defence business.

Singh, who joined the Tata group in 2003, is a director of TASL, which provides integrated solutions for aerospace, defence and homeland security.

TASL has a partnership with global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) including Sikorsky Aircraft Corp., Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Pilatus Aircraft Ltd, Cobham Mission Equipment and RUAG Aviation for their global requirements.

It has capabilities throughout the entire aerospace value chain from design to full aircraft assembly, and is poised to be a major entity in India in this sector.

It is also engaged in development and assembly projects in missiles, radars and in other high technology areas for Indian customers.

The Tata group has identified aerospace and defence as a focus area.

In an interview in June, Singh said TASL had scaled up operations across its seven lines of manufacturing and was preparing to bid for building full aircraft in the next three to five years.

TASL will compete to build full radars, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and aircraft in India in the next three to five years if the request for proposals (RFPs) put out by the government allow for it, Singh had said.

“In 2013-14, we had revenue of around ₹ 400 crore and in 2014-15 we will grow more than 50%,” Singh had said.

TASL was set up in 2007 as a vehicle for the Tata group to move into the national security and defence sector.

The unit started production at its 10 facilities spread across Delhi, Hyderabad and Bengaluru only three years ago, starting by building structures and critical sections of the body of aircraft and helicopters.