Norbert Ducrot - Senior Vice President Sales for Asia, Eurocopter

How do you perceive the growth of Aero India since its inception?

Since its inception in 1996, Aero India has come a long way. The journey has clearly been very successful as the airshow has seen continuous increase in the number of participants year after year. Over the years, Aero India has increased its reach both in terms of participation, as well as infrastructure. Aero India is now Asia’s premier air show and has become an important benchmark in the aeronautical industry’s map. With India’s defence and aeronautics industry showing tremendous potential, the world is shifting focus to India. This is clear from the fact that this year Aero India saw participation by over 300 foreign companies. We only expect Aero India to get bigger and better with each edition.

What is the range of helicopters showcased by your company at the event?

At Aero India, we showcased three of our key products: AS 550 Fennec, Tiger HAD and the EC 725. All these products are representative of the quality of technology of Eurocopter products. While the FENNEC holds the world record for landing on top of the Mount Everest, the Tiger is unanimously considered the most multifunctional attack helicopter in the world. As for the EC725, it is the latest member of the Super Puma family. Therefore, it has benefited both from the experience of its predecessors and from important technical improvements.

What was the response to your company at the show?

The response that we received at Aero India was overwhelming, both from our existing as well as potential customers. We can confidently say that the air show was very successful for us. It is very encouraging for us to see that our commitment to the growth of the Indian Aerospace industry is reflected and acknowledged.

Any tie-ups, joint ventures or MoUs concluded during the show?

We have been in talks with several potential partners before and during the air show. We hope to finalise some deals in the near future. However, currently we are not in a position to share details of the same.

Have you specifically concluded any new arrangements on offset partner during the show and if so in the context of which particular potential deal?

We have a strong interest to create a long lasting and strategic partnership with Indian aerospace and defence companies. We have already signed over 50 MoUs with Indian companies to enhance our industrial operation in India. HAL is also already part of our global supply chain for the production of helicopter aerostructures.

Have you received inquiries from individual buyers or state governments’ aviation divisions?

We have received many enquiries for helicopters from individual buyers and state governments since 2008 and during the Hyderabad air show in October 2008. But Aero India is primarily a defence oriented show and therefore not so much a platform for such requests.

How do you foresee the potential in India’s corporate aviation sector? Have you received visits from individual buyers during the show?

As you are aware, the Ministry of Civil Aviation had announced 2008 as the Year of Helicopter. The growth of corporate aviation has been tremendous over the past two to three years. India can truly be called a ‘helicopter country’. Diverse geographical terrain coupled with existing gap in infrastructure makes helicopters the ideal vehicle of choice for distance up to 500 km. This is forcing the growth in the corporate/VIP segment.

We are currently in talks with various potential customers for meeting the demand in this segment but cannot share more details at this stage since the deals are in the initial stages. With more and more corporate customers operating their own helicopters, we expect the commercial sector around corporate and VIP transport keep growing. Also, as regulations concerning airspace and available helipads in India are changing, this sector has tremendous potential.

How satisfied do you feel with the outcome of your participation at Aero India 2009?

We are extremely happy to have been a part of Aero India year after year and once again show our commitment to the growth of the Indian Aerospace industry. Aero India 2009 has been very successful for us and we are very satisfied with the outcome. We have had the opportunity to meet several key officials and also some potential customers. We hope to translate these meetings into opportunities for further strengthening our business ties with India. We hope to continually participate in this premiere air show in the years to come and witness its new dimensions and successes.