
Can this battered defence stock forge a new path? Only if it cleans house first.
Subscribe to enjoy similar stories. The 15th edition of Aero India, a biennial air show and aviation exhibition, concluded earlier this month. Conducted across 42,000 sq m, with more than 900 exhibitors including 150 foreign companies, it was the biggest Aero India to date.
Scores of aircraft and helicopters produced by global and Indian defence majors showcased their abilities at the event. Bharat Forge, one of the first private companies to enter the defence sector, unveiled its first fully indigenous unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) engine at Aero India. Once primarily an auto ancillary company, Bharat Forge is now known for its expertise in forging and precision engineering, and is looking to fill one of the most significant gaps in India's defence ecosystem: jet engine technology.
Also read | Let there be light: Five stocks poised to benefit from India’s $1 bn solar push India has long relied on imported gas turbines for UAVs, aka drones. Several startups have entered drone manufacturing in recent years, but most depend on propulsion units imported from China or Europe. To bridge the gap in jet engine technology, Bharat Forge is producing landing gears in Pune.
The company already produces 100% of Airbus's commercial aircraft parts. Bharat Forge is also investing in the latest technologies used in warfare. It is collaborating with foreign partners to produce everything from AI-powered drones to hypersonics and directed energy weapons.
Bharat Forge is unique in the auto ancillary space. Most of its peers are currently busy manoeuvring their product profiles from internal combustion engine (ICE) supply chains to electric vehicle (EV) supply chains. Some are getting into hardware for electric vehicles, others into digital
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