P Soundara Rajan takes over as director(corp. planning & marketing) HAL

Bangalore: P Soundara Rajan has been appointed as director, corporate planning and marketing at Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).

As director, Soundara Rajan will spearhead a gamut of activities in the planning, marketing, customer services, quality, projects, management services and information technology areas.

Prior to the latest appointment, Soundara Rajan was general manager (projects) at the corporate office, driving the business development activities.

Soundara Rajan has undertaken several path breaking initiatives at HAL such as aligning the quality systems to international AS 9100 and NADCAP standards, implementation of ERP systems, indigenization of key systems and establishing long term business agreements with supply chain.

During his tenure, he established the major overhaul line for Mirage 2000 and its systems, a first of its kind outside France at that time. He was responsible for establishing a world class, state-of-the-art, centre of excellence for manufacture of aerospace composites.

"My focus will be on meeting the commitments made to customers at all levels and forums, investment driven growth in technologies and capabilities of the organization and targeted globalization of products and globalization of business processes and people," Soundara Rajan said, soon after assuming the office.

Soundara Rajan joined HAL as a management trainee in 1975 and has over 33 years of experience in manufacture, repair, overhaul of aircraft, helicopters, piston engines and aero accessories.

His experience covers project management, quality assurance, integrated materials management and production management. He had served as resident manager at HAL's Liaison Office at the Indian High Commission in UK during 1998-2001.