Wipro and Israel Aerospace to join hands in a strategic alliance to make composite aerospace structures

Coinciding with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Israel, Wipro Infrastructure Engineering on 5 July, 2017 announced a strategic alliance with Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) to make composite aerostructure parts and assemblies in India for the global market. “We will set up a manufacturing facility in Bengaluru with IAI to make composite structures for global aircraft makers and tier-1 suppliers as per the defence offset guidelines of the Indian government,” said the subsidiary of Wipro Enterprises Ltd. The city-based Wipro Enterprises is a global hydraulic solutions provider and a separate entity of the global software major’s group. The facility would also supply the parts to IAI for meeting its compliance requirements. As aerospace industry is strategic, the subsidiary had set up an aerospace actuator making facility in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ) at Devanahalli on the city’s outskirts in 2013. In 2016, it acquired H.R. Givon Ltd, an Isareli-based maker of metallic parts and assemblies for the aerospace industry. “The acquisition of Givon helped us to expand our product portfolio in aerostructure parts and assemblies, global footprint and forge customer relationships,” recalled the statement. The Kiryat Bialik-based Givon has three manufacturing plants, including two in Israel and one in the US. “The partnership with IAI will strengthen our presence in the aerospace sector and standing for global OEMs and help us explore opportunities in key markets,” said Wipro Engineering Chief Executive Pratik Kumar in a statement. IAI’s commercial aircraft group General Manager Shlomi Karako said the partnership with Wipro arm was important as India was a major strategic customer of the Israeli aeropace and defence company. “We will assist Wipro in building its composite facility with our knowhow and technologies as part of the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative and expand it later,” said Karako in the statement.