Ashok Leyland to offer testing services for the aerospace sector

30 November 2008

Chennai: Commercial vehicle major Ashok Leyland, a Hinduja Group undertaking, will offer Indian aerospace sector facilities for testing various aircraft components. The company will offer testing as well as engineering design services through a new division, Defiance Technologies, or through its wholly-owned US subsidiary Defiance Testing and Engineering Services Inc.

Ashok Leyland has rebranded its Ashley Design and Engineering Services division as Defiance Technologies. It acquired the US-based Defiance Testing, which is into automotive product and component testing, for around $15 million last year.

The American subsidiary has two testing laboratories.

'Foreign aircraft manufacturers are now bound by high local offset clauses - up to 30 per cent of the value. This offers good scope for us,' Hinduja Automotive Ltd executive vice-chairman V Sumantran told reporters.

'We can test undercarriage structural components made of cast aluminium, doors and others for their durability and also offer design engineering services,' he added.

According to Sumantran, discussions were on with a few aircraft manufacturers.