Timken to Get Into Servicing Aircraft, Defence Sector

Timken to Get Into Servicing Aircraft, Defence Sector Timken India Ltd will make a foray into aircraft maintenance in the country. At a later stage, it is also looking at manufacturing for the Indian defence sector. "We are looking at aircraft maintenance as a service business and for that we already have a support structure and team within Timken India," said managing director Gordon W Robinson in a written reply to a query from FE. He said the commercial side of the business is very promising in the short term, particularly with the new private airline operators in India. Timken's services wing in the country, which is into repairing big bearings for steel plants, etc, has been looking for growth opportunities for some time now. "Initially, this will ensure opportunities in the steel mills and railways and we also see this as an opportunity for aerospace and defence," said Gordon. Asked about Timken's plans for the defence sector, Gordon said the company would in the long run be interested in the sector, although its being American is a handicap, as the defence sector of every country has traditionally been catered to by domestic companies. Timken's parent company, US-based The Timken Company, is into manufacturing of helicopter gearboxes, apart from making bearings. Gordon said private airline companies, which are into operating aircraft in the country, are comfortable in taking help from a "third party" like Timken. "We would like to partner with such people and provide our services," he said, adding, "we see that as an opportunity for growth for our India operations." The Timken Company, which has a stake of a little more than 80% in Timken, had last year floated a new entity Timken India Manufacturing Pvt Ltd for setting up a greenfield plant in Chennai for manufacturing a range of antifriction heavy-duty industrial bearings. Production at the plant will start from January 2008. Gordon said Timken's 15-year-old Jamshedpur facility, which makes a different variety of bearings, will soon become a centre of excellence for the company's roller production to supply rollers to the Chennai facility.