Azad setting up $20m parts’ plant for Japanese firm
The Hindu
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries leadership visits the site at Tunkibollaram near Hyderabad
Precision engineering firm Azad Engineering is setting up a $20 million plant near here to manufacture highly critical and complex parts for Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries.
Managing director Rakesh Chopdar, who laid the foundation stone for the 11,800 sq. metres facility at Tunkibollaram, near Medchal, said that the business association of Azad and Mitsubishi is about a decade old. “The collaboration with Mitsubishi to build an exclusive facility is an outcome of our commitment and sustained effort to deepen our relationship as a preferred partner of global OEMs,” he said.
The plant is scheduled to become operational by mid-2024. It will be part of Azad’s upcoming centre of excellence and innovation centre and employ about 300 people.
MHI CMD T. Nagayasu, Deputy CEO K. Tanaka, Deputy GM (Takasago Blade and combustion parts manufacturing) M. Hasegawa, Engineering Head Raja Ram Reddy, Industries Secretary Jayesh Ranjan and MLA K.P. Vivekananda participated in the foundation laying programme.
On strengthening of the partnership, Mr. Tanaka said, “Azad Engineering machining capability is very impressive. They provide components of high quality and accuracy for our gas and steam turbines.”
Mr. Reddy said MHI’s quality requirements are among the highest in the world and Azad is the only partner outside Japan for a few critical components who can meet the demanding standards. “We partner with them for gas and steam Airfoils,” he said.
The proposed plant further demonstrates that Telangana has emerged as the most preferred manufacturing destination for global OEMs in aerospace, precision engineering and heavy engineering segments, Mr. Ranjan said.
While residents are worried over deaths due to diarrhoea in Vijayawada, officials still grapple to find the root cause. Contaminated drinking water supplied by VMC officials is the reason, insist people in the affected areas, but officials insist that efforts are on to identify the disease and that those with symptoms other than diarrhoea too are visiting the health camps.