Cabin maker

The Indian company Tata Group has signed a deal with Sikorsky Aircraft that will see Tata subsidiary Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) manufacture Sikorsky S-92 helicopter cabins in India.

The first cabin is scheduled for delivery in late 2010 from a new greenfield facility that TASL will construct at Hyderabad in the state of Andhra Pradesh.

Nearly 100 of the S-92 helicopters have been produced to date and the worldwide operating fleet has accumulated more than 150,000 flight hours.

The aircraft perform a variety of missions, including search and rescue off the UK coast as well as transporting oil workers to offshore platforms.

While the agreement marks the first for the manufacture of Sikorsky products in India, other subsidiaries of Sikorsky parent UTC already have a significant presence there.

Combined, UTC's Hamilton Sundstrand aerospace systems, Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines, Otis Elevator, Carrier air conditioning and UTC Fire & Security units today occupy more than 100 offices and factories in nearly 50 cities and employ approximately 4,000 people in India.

UTC reported 2008 revenues of $58.7bn (£35.7bn) and Tata Group had 2007-2008 revenues of $62.5bn.

Both companies derive the majority of their revenues from outside their native countries.