♦ India's first private-sector helicopter assembly facility is set to be established in Kolar, Karnataka. Airbus, the European aviation giant, and Tata Advanced Systems (TASL), the aerospace division of the Tata group, have come together to establish a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for H125 helicopters.

♦ The facility will manufacture Airbus' popular H125 civil helicopter for Indian and regional markets, becoming the fourth such installation globally after those in France, US and Brazil.

♦ Initially producing 10 helicopters annually, the facility will expand operations based on Airbus' forecast of 500 light H125-class helicopters being required in the region over the next two decades.