Czech Deputy PM backs India partnership in aerospace, defence
By R Anil Kumar
Bengaluru, Oct 14. Czech Republic First Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlicek on Wednesday, October 14, called for stronger industrial cooperation with India in aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing, saying investments focused on high-value products and new technologies were central to his country’s economic strategy.
“It’s completely corresponding with also the economic strategy of the Czech Republic, which is based on added value, it’s based on new technologies,” Havlicek said at the inauguration of a new production facility of Gopalan Aerospace at Hoskote near Bengaluru.
The inauguration was accompanied by the signing of5 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Gopalan and Czech companies, marking a fresh step towards expanding industrial and business ties between the two countries.
Czech Deputy Foreign Minister Marie Chatardova said more than 30 Czech companies accompanying the delegation to India, were ready to collaborate with Indian partners under the Make in India programme. “All of them are ready to cooperate with Indian partners within the Make in India programme,” Chatardova said, highlighting the potential to translate diplomatic engagement into concrete business partnerships.
The developments underline opportunities for India and the Czech Republic to expand cooperation in aerospace, defence and other advanced technology sectors.
Havlicek, who arrived in India with a business delegation two days earlier, described Bengaluru as “the heart of the new technologies, advanced technologies”, highlighting the city’s importance in India’s technology and manufacturing ecosystem.
He said Czech entrepreneurs had briefed him in Prague about their activities and investments in Bengaluru, prompting his interest in visiting the city and the facility, linking the sectors to the Czech Republic’s focus on innovation and high-value manufacturing.
“I am promoting the Czech Republic as a country for the future, as a country with great entrepreneurs, very good universities, R&D centres, simulators, startups, spin-offs, and a country which is focused on added value,” he said.
He said the Czech Republic was seeking to move beyond its traditional image of historic cities and famous beer and showcase its strengths in innovation, research and development, and advanced industries. Chatardova, who is responsible for Asia and economic diplomacy, said strengthening economic engagement was a priority for the Czech government.
“Economic diplomacy is one of the top priorities of our government, and economic diplomacy for us means not a slogan, but it means something concrete,” she said.
“We are very much result-oriented, and I can observe that same here in India,” she added, expressing hope that cooperation between the two countries would continue to grow. The event was held in the presence of C. Prabhakar, Director of Gopalan Enterprises. The new facility is located in the KIADB Industrial Area at Pillagumpe, Hoskote, on the outskirts of Bengaluru.
The facility inauguration and MoU signing bring together a manufacturing development and a bilateral business initiative.
GOPALAN AEROSPACE BUILDS ON US$40 MILLION INVESTMENT WITH NEW HOSKOTE PRODUCTION LINE
Czech Deputy Prime Minister Karel Havlíček inaugurates the new line as GAIPL advances itsaerospace and defence manufacturing ambitions; five MoUs span UAVs, fire safety, advanced coatings, and unmanned traffic management.
Gopalan Aerospace India Private Limited (GAIPL), partof Gopalan Enterprises, today launched a new production line at its Hoskote facility in Bengaluru, strengthening its capacity to pursue higher-value manufacturing programmes across the aerospace,defence, and space sectors. The launch took place in the presence of H.E. Karel Havlíček, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic, and Mr. C. Prabhakar, Director, Gopalan Enterprises.
The occasion also witnessed the signing of five Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) betweenGopalan and Czech partners, covering five areas of potential collaboration: fire-extinguishing solutions; unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), including fixed-wing drones, quadcopters andrelated systems; thermo eflective coating technology; unmanned traffic management systems; and jet-powered unmanned aerial vehicles.
The agreements establish a basis forexploring complementary technologies, industrial cooperation and potential manufacturing opportunities across aerospace, defence and advanced engineering.
The production-line launch and the agreements underscore GAIPL’s ambition to build on its existing manufacturing base, expand its technological capabilities and strengthen its participation in increasingly complex programmes and global aerospace supply chains.
An Integrated Aerospace Manufacturing Platform GAIPL has invested approximately US$40 million in its 10.5-acre Hoskote facility, which houses morethan 150,000 sq. ft. of manufacturing infrastructure. Its capabilities span precision CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, advanced composites, aerostructures, and complex assemblies, supported by Build-to-Print and Build-to-Spec solutions.
Certified to AS9100D and ISO 9001:2015, with Nadcap accreditations for composites and welding, GAIPL serves a customer and programme ecosystem that includes HAL, IAI, L&T, DRDO, TASL,ISRO, NAL, Expleo and ECIL, as well as the Indian Army and Indian Air Force.
The new production line strengthens the company’s ability to support more complex, higher-value aerospace, defence, and space programmes.
Mr. C. Prabhakar, Director, Gopalan Enterprises, said: “India’s aerospace and defence ambitions demand more than manufacturing capacity – they require the ability to engineer and deliver increasingly complex systems to global standards. At Gopalan Aerospace, our strength lies in integrating precision machining, advanced composites, aerostructures, and complex assemblies, with the flexibility to deliver both Build-to-Print and Build-to-Spec solutions. Our investment in Hoskote, strengthens this platform and our ambition to move up the value chain – from manufacturing supplierto strategic capability partner for global aerospace and defence companies. As India expands its role
in global supply chains, we aim to help shape what the country can build and deliver to the world.”
Scaling Growth, Expanding Global ReachGAIPL’s aerospace business generates approximately US$20 million in annual revenue, with at arget of 50% year-on-year growth over the next three to five years. At planned capacity, the Hoskote facility is projected to generate approximately US$50 million in annual revenue.
The company’s growth strategy centres on expanding manufacturing capabilities, taking on higher-value programmes, deepening partnerships with global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs),and pursuing export opportunities.
India–Czech Engagement Opens New Technology Pathways
The five MoUs create a framework for Gopalan to explore collaboration with Czech companies across pecialised technologies, including UAV platforms and associated systems, fire safety, advanced oatings, and unmanned traffic management.
The areas covered reflect complementary capabilitiesthat could support future industrial and technology partnerships.
GAIPL has also been engaging with international technology companies to explore potential collaboration in UAV and drone technologies, technology transfer, joint development, and manufacturing.
The company has been working on indigenous loitering munition UAV systems overthe past three years, reflecting its focus on developing domestic defence technology and manufacturing capabilities.
The specific scope, commitments, and expected outcomes of the MoUs will depend on agreed terms and subsequent discussions between the participating companies. Further details will be shared when approved for public disclosure.
The engagement comes as India seeks to deepen domestic manufacturing, strengthen aerospace, defence supply chains, and expand the role of Indian companies in global programmes.
For GAIPL,the priorities ahead are to build on its integrated manufacturing platform, develop higher-value capabilities and create new opportunities through customer partnerships and international collaboration.
About Gopalan Aerospace India Private Limited
Gopalan Aerospace India Private Limited (GAIPL), part of Gopalan Enterprises, is building advanced manufacturing capabilities for the aerospace, defence, and space sectors. Its integrated capabilities span precision CNC machining, sheet metal fabrication, advanced composites, aerostructures, heavy engineering, UAV systems, and complex assemblies, enabling it to support demanding manufacturing requirements across a range of programmes. Based at Hoskote, Bengaluru, GAIPL combines engineering expertise with precision manufacturing to serve domestic and international customers.
With a focus on quality, capability development and increasingly complex programmes, the company aims to move up the value chain and strengthen its role as a long-term manufacturing and engineering partner to the global aerospace and defence industry.
