GE Aviation, a world leader in aircraft engines and technology development, has partnered with Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation (TIDCO), the industrial development agency of the government of Tamil Nadu, to set up a centre of excellence (CoE) in emerging technologies in the state.
Governed by the special purpose entity (SPV) of TIDCO, the CoE aims to create an ecosystem of advanced research and development using additive technologies.
The CoE comes after both organisations signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) in 2021. An investment of about ₹141.26 crore over five years was proposed to be funded by TIDCO and GE, in two phases.
The CoE will work towards technology development of aviation engine parts such as compressor heat exchangers, combustor components, casing, frames, gears, and splines. It will also take up projects in development of predictive analytical solutions for additive manufacturing (AM) for industry 4.0.
The CoE will aim to develop Indian intellectual property for the AM technologies including materials, machines, design software to provide specific technology solutions.
Vikram Reddy, GM, aviation engineering, GE said, “GE will bring its rich 100-year aerospace experience to this CoE. The CoE can leverage GE’s technology and research capabilities in an agile environment. GE’s team will be backed by its India technology centre team located in Bengaluru which has been working on aerospace technology design development for over 20 years.”
Recently, the Union ministry of electronics and information technology rolled out a national strategy for AM to encourage collaboration between government, industry, and academia with the goal of making India a global hub for design, development and deployment of 3D printing.
B Krishnamoorthy, additional secretary and project director, TIDCO said, “The GE partnership with government of Tamil Nadu is a significant milestone in the growth of the aerospace and defence ecosystem in the state. With the establishment of this facility, Tamil Nadu will emerge as an aerospace and defence hub for research and development and advanced manufacturing of aerospace parts. The partnership with GE will help attract investments in the defence and aerospace sector in the state.”
