Jeh Aerospace and US-based Solestra Group have announced a multi-year, multi-million-dollar agreement and inaugurated a dedicated global manufacturing centre for Solestra at Jeh’s Hyderabad facility. The agreement amount was not disclosed.
The new global manufacturing centre is not based on a traditional subcontracting model. It has been set up as a dedicated shop floor with machines, space and workforce aligned to customers’ programmes, standards and quality systems, functioning as an extension of customers’ own sites.
The Solestra centre also adds high-precision mechanical systems to Jeh Aerospace’s aero-engine and aerostructure capabilities.
Both companies are certified to AS9100D, which indicates compliance with global quality and safety standards required for aerospace and defence manufacturing.
According to the companies, customers will benefit from expanded capacity, faster industrialisation and cost advantage, supported by digital-thread transparency, IP protection and a single point of accountability.
The dedicated capacity is expected to improve reliability, control and supply-chain resilience.The companies said the model offers the benefits of a joint venture in India without the governance, ownership and exit-related burden of a conventional JV structure.
Joe DeMartino, CEO, Solestra Group, said the centre expands Solestra’s ability to support new product introduction, increase capacity, accelerate industrialisation and deliver competitive solutions. He added that the centre strengthens the company’s ability to support larger and more complex programmes, while allowing its North American operations to focus on advanced manufacturing, assembly and customer engagement.
For Solestra, Jeh Aerospace’s capabilities and execution were key factors behind the agreement. DeMartino said Jeh had built the cell and installed the first machines at a rapid pace.
Vishal Sanghavi, Founder and CEO, Jeh Aerospace, said the industry had for too long focused on local efficiency and transactional supply, which did not build resilience. He said he and Venkatesh Mudragalla used their experience of building and running India joint ventures for leading global OEMs to create a model that offers the benefits of an India JV without its burden.
Solestra Group is a full-service precision manufacturing provider serving the aerospace, defence, medical and high-precision industries. The company brings together six specialised businesses across machining, fabrication and complex assembly, operating through strategic regional hubs across North America.
(Source: Fourtune India)