GKN Aerospace is establishing a new wiring facility in India to support expansion in Asia

GKN Fokker Elmo and the State of Maharashtra (India) have signed an MOU for investment in a second manufacturing facility for wiring interconnection systems in India at the Farnborough Air Show today.

The new site, a fully owned GKN Aerospace business, is located in Pune in the state Maharashtra and is scheduled to come online in the fourth quarter of 2018. Production will start in the first quarter of 2019, the workforce is expected to grow to 800 in 2027.

Mr Suresh Kakani, Vice Chairman and Managing Director of the Maharashtra Airport Development Company and John Pritchard, CE0 Aerostructures and Systems Europe and Asia sign the MOU for the new facility in India

The site will focus on the assembly of wiring systems for commercial aircraft and will operate alongside the existing Joint Venture for wiring systems in Bangalore which is serving the defence market. The plans also include the installation of proprietary wiring design and manufacturing system, a unique tool that is rolled out globally throughout all manufacturing locations worldwide to ensure the same high quality everywhere in the world.

GKN Aerospace, GKN Driveline and GKN Powder Metallurgy have made significant investments in India in recent years. The three businesses operate eight locations in India with 2000 employees. India is an important country in GKN Aerospace’s plan to expand the Asian footprint. GKN Aerospace recently also announced a new facility in Malaysia, another element of the Asian expansion plan. By the time both sites are fully up-and-running, around 15% of GKN Aerospace’s employees are expected to be based in Asia.

Pune offers favourable conditions in the areas of business development, labour, education & training and infrastructure. It also has an excellent location relative to the company’s major customers in India.

John Pritchard, CEO Aerostructures and Systems Europe and Asia said: “This electrical wiring systems site will be the first aerospace facility fully owned by us in India. It strengthens our enduring partnership with this country. The growth of the aerospace industry in India is robust and we need to be close to our customers. The support of the regional government has been vital, we look forward to the opening of the site at the end of this year.”