Mahindra expands JV to make airborne weather radars in India

PARIS: Mahindra Defense Systems, a Mahindra Group company, and US-listed Telephonics Corporation today announced a joint venture in India to manufacture the new RDR Series of Airborne Weather Radars.

The radars will be made at their Prithla facility near Delhi. This is the first airborne radar to be manufactured in the private sector in India.

The JV named MTIS, first established in 2013, used the aerospace and defence technology from Telephonics Corporation. Initial transfer of technology was for the manufacture of transducers used for both commercial and aerospace applications.

"Over 16,000 have been produced since December 2013. MTIS manufactured the first airborne weather radar assembly in March 2015," Mahindra Defence Systems said here at the Paris International Air Show.

With the capability to manufacture airborne radars, MTIS has positioned itself to support the 'Made In India' mandate for the India aerospace and defence sector, the company said, while adding that Mahindras have established a "clear lead" compared to other Indian industrial groups in the aerospace and defence arena.

"MTIS continues to make significant progress in its charter to build an indigenous capability to support aerospace and defence programmes leveraging the advanced technologies offered by our partner Telephonics," said SP Shukla, Member of the Group Executive Board of Mahindra & Mahindra Limited and Group President, Aerospace and Defence.

"Manufacturing of our RDR airborne weather radar is a key milestone. We are pleased with both the progress MTIS has made and with the support of our joint venture partner, Mahindra and Mahindra," said Joseph Battaglia, President and CEO of Telephonics.