HCL Makes a Mark at the Paris Air Show

At the Paris Air Show in june, HCL was one of two participants
from India to take up a "chalet" (prefab buildings erected for the
show, where aviation chiefs meet and do business). At the show, with over 2,000
exhibitors alongside the Le Bourget airfield, major companies rent chalets.

HCL also participated at the Farnborough Air Show in the UK last
year. The Paris Air Show and the Farnborough Air Show in London alternate each
year as the aviation industrys main event.

The other chalet from India at Paris was by HAL, Hindustan
Aeronautics, which demonstrated its Dhruv tactical support helicopter, amidst a
series of spectacular afternoon aerobatic displays by aircraft that ranged from
screaming supersonic fighters and a Bell tilt-rotor to the 555-seater Airbus
A380 super-jumbo.

HCL Technologies has been involved with aviation for several
years, and worked on a range of projects including the mammoth Airbus A380
super-jumbo. HCL is the first Indian IT solutions provider to get an AS-9100
certification.

At the Air Show, HCL announced an "expanded
relationship" with Rockwell Collins, a leading avionics and communications
company, to serve as an extension of the latters engineering centers. HCL
will deliver high value services such as software, hardware, and mechanical
engineering for full product lifecycle development, through 300 engineers,
professionals, and experts in Chennai and Bangalore. "These offshore
design and development centers will increase our presence, visibility, and
access to our customers in Asia, in addition to gaining increased efficiency
through 24x7 engineering operations," says Rockwell Collins COO Kelly
Ortberg.

HCL also announced a $15 mn deal with Alenia Aeronautica of
Italy, for engineering services to support improvement of the C-27J Spartan
aircraft production line. Alenia designs and produces high-performance combat
aircraft, special mission aircraft, commercial airliners, and the modern
tactical military airlifter, the C-27J. It also supplies aerostructures for
airliners including the Boeing 787 and Airbus A380. ATR, its joint venture with
EADS, dominates the regional turboprop market.

HCL Infosystems, the (Indian domestic) systems and services
company, participated in the Air Show to explore tie-ups with suppliers of ATC
and other aerospace equipment.

India was in focus as a potentially major buyer at the Air Show.
However, only Kingfisher made major purchase announcements, amidst budget
carriers struggling to manage costs. Kingfisher has signed up to buy 30 Airbus
long-haul aircraft, despite its A380 delivery being delayed to 2011. And Boeings
main commercial display was a new 777-300ER owned by Jet Airways, which has a
first class with enclosed cabins and doors, as in first-class train
compartments.

Prasanto K Roy
at the Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport, France