Collins Aerospace, an RTX group company, has set up a new Engineering Development and Test Center (EDTC) in Bengaluru with an investment of $ 25 million. This investment is in addition to the investment of $ 200 million that Collins has invested in India over the last few years.
The new facility will help in testing the product prototypes being developed by Collins Aerospace to ensure that its aerospace systems meet the highest global safety and performance standards. The tests at this new centre will simulate harsh aircraft operating conditions and address potential issues including extreme temperatures, high altitudes, vibration, and electromagnetic interference. By conducting these tests locally, Collins will be able to quickly identify adjustments earlier in the development process, improving product design while reducing both time and cost.
Interestingly, RTX is one of the world's largest aerospace and defence companies with more than 185,000 global employees which include group companies such as Collins Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney, and Raytheon. The company, with sales of $80 billion in 2024, is headquartered in Arlington, Virginia in the United States.
Initially, the EDTC will support Collins Aerospace, including its avionics, advanced structures, interiors, and power and control businesses. However, in the future, the facility will expand to serve all RTX businesses, supporting a broader range of aerospace and defence applications and allowing for shared innovation across the company's diverse product portfolio. Collins develops different products such as landing gear for aircraft, oxygen systems, seats, evacuation slides besides many other products.
The facility has the capability of testing Collins products which are being developed globally and will not be restricted only to the products which are being developed and manufactured in India. The EDTC will also help streamline product development, testing, and certification of components locally, bringing aerospace technologies to market faster.
“The aerospace industry is highly regulated and all the products which are installed onto aircraft have to be certified by regulating agencies such as DGCA. All the prototypes which are developed by Collins will be tested by the state-of-the-art equipment at the centre. Our India engineering centre in Bengaluru is the largest outside the United States and each and every product from Collins installed across the world has a contribution from our India operations,” remarked Savyasachi Srinivas, vice president of global engineering and technology centres Collins Aerospace.
Srinivas said that Collins Aerospace was actively working with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and has its equipment on different fighters and helicopters including the Tejas. He also revealed that they were in talks with Aeronautical Development Agency for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project.
Collins Aerospace has a growing footprint in the country that now includes more than 6,000 employees in engineering, digital, manufacturing, operations, and supply chain functions. The EDTC is expected to further strengthen India’s role as a global hub for aerospace innovation for Collins Aerospace.
