HAL expands presence in Malaysia, eyes foray into southeast Asian market
New Delhi: Eyeing potential market for its fleet of utility and attack helicopters and fighters in Southeast Asia, India’s state-run Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) has expanded its presence in Malaysia.
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday inaugurated the Regional Marketing Office in Kuala Lumpur during his ongoing three-day visit to Malaysia, as part of a move to facilitate close defence industrial collaboration between the two countries.
“It (the Regional Marketing Office) will also serve as a hub for the HAL’s engagement with the wider South-East Asian region and act as a window for other Indian defense PSUs,” a statement by the Defence Ministry said.
Another reason for the opening of the office was the potential to service and maintain the Su-30 fleet of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF), according to media reports.
HAL is one of the largest producers of Su-30s and was also looking to supply spare parts to the RMAF — availability of which has been hit due to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war.
This is not the first time that HAL has set up its marketing office in Malaysia. In August 2022, while eyeing a deal for Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas, which it eventually lost out to the South Koreans, the Indian aerospace and defence company had established an overseas marketing office in Kuala Lumpur.
Singh, meanwhile, also met with his Malaysian counterpart Dato’ Seri Mohamad Hasan. During the talks, both sides discussed initiatives to further expand bilateral defence ties, with particular focus on identifying ways to strengthen industrial cooperation.
The two leaders reaffirmed their commitment to fully implement the Enhanced Strategic Partnership, defence ministry statement said.
Singh also highlighted the potential of the Indian defence industry with capacity and capability to cooperate with Malaysian Armed Forces in its inventory modernisation and maintenance plans.
Sources in the defence establishment told ThePrint that the Malaysia office will also cater to other markets in Southeast Asia. They said that HAL is in talks with some countries who have evinced interest in the Tejas as well as helicopters including the Light Combat Helicopter.
HAL is also in talks with the Philippines for the sale of six indigenous Advanced Light Helicopters. The Philippines, in January last year, signed a contract with India for the BrahMos supersonic cruise missiles. (ThePrint.in)
