Ashok Nayak is new HAL Chairman

Bangalore, March 31, 2009: Mr Ashok Nayak takes over as HAL’s new Chairman from April 1 (Wednesday). Mr Nayak succeeds Mr Ashok K. Baweja, who retired on March 31. Prior to this, Mr Nayak was the Managing Director of HAL’s Bangalore Complex. Mr Nayak will be HAL’s 15th Chairman. Hailing from Honnavara in Karnataka, Mr Nayak — a Mechanical Engineer from Bangalore University — joined HAL as a Management Trainee in 1973. In a professional career spanning over three decades, he has held key positions in the fields of manufacturing, quality assurance, production, planning, customer services and export. At the Engine Division in Bangalore (1986-1998), he headed Production Engineering and led the assembly, overhaul and repair of engines like Artouste, Garrett, Dart, Orpheus, Gnome, Adour and the Avon series. As the General Manager of Aerospace Division in 2004, he gave a major thrust to the manufacturing of GSLV Mk. III structural assemblies and tankages. In 2006 he took over as the General Manager of Aircraft Division at Bangalore Complex and gave a fillip to concurrent engineering and upgrade of Jaguar aircraft. This period also saw him establishing a sound manufacturing base for the production of the Pilotless Target Aircraft, apart from providing impetus to the Hawk and IJT projects. He brought in an attitudinal change by focusing on exports, resulting in several orders from many OEMs of aircraft. Lean Management was propelled by bringing in the Boeing Production System (BPS), and the Aircraft Division is since working progressively on BPS. In July 2007, Mr Nayak was elevated as the Managing Director of Bangalore Complex — a mammoth responsibility of leading seven vital divisions of the Company. Fleet serviceability and customer services topped his agenda and multiple projects like the Hawk, IJT and LCA entered various levels of implementation on a fast-track. The production, exports and turnover of Bangalore Complex saw a marked rise during his tenure. We need to grab the opportunities, says Nayak: On the eve of taking over as the Chairman, Mr Ashok Nayak said that HAL must grab all the opportunities to stay atop the global aerospace heap. “With the offset opportunity and massive new programmes coming up, HAL must find ways and means to capture all these opportunities for a safe and secure future. We have made an impact in the international market and will now have to focus on our exports further to stay ahead in the race,” Mr Nayak said.