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Ashwini Phadnis

New Delhi, Nov. 9 India has the capability of overtaking China in the civil aircraft production if it moves fast enough feels, Mr Peter Klonk, the European Representative of ACAC, the Chinese state-owned civilian jet manufacturing company.

Speaking to Business Line on the sidelines of an industry seminar on ‘Energising: Indian aerospace industry’, Mr Klonk felt that India enjoyed several advantages over China which can be leveraged to its advantage in civil aircraft manufacturing.

`”When you look at the Indian scenario it is different from China. You not only have a different political system in India but more importantly a strong entrepreneurship coming up with people who can decide on the spot. By which I mean companies willing to invest and grow into areas where they have not been before,” Mr Klonk said.

The Shanghai headquartered ACAC was founded in September 2002 and is the only Chinese aircraft company that aims at developing civil aircraft. ACAC is jointly invested by 15 investors from aviation industrial institutes and enterprises including China Aviation Industry Corporation 1 (AVIC1) on the principle of ‘joint investment, risk and profit Share’.

Making a strong case for private-public partnership, Mr Klonk pointed out that if the knowledge available in HAL is combined with private entrepreneurship to set up something India should be able to overtake the Chinese in civil aircraft production.

“The Government must cooperate, but the private sector must have 51 per cent, that will be ideal. HAL will be needed because they have all the knowledge and machinery,” he added.

Mr Klonk was of the opinion that Indian companies could also look at taking over programmes of some aircraft manufacturers which have now ceased although some variety of their aircraft continue to fly around the globe.

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