Last Updated on March 31, 2026 9:10 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
AMN / Bengaluru / Hosur
Merlinhawk Composites and Engineering Pvt. Ltd., a joint venture between India’s Merlinhawk Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. and Italy-based Vega Composites, on Tuesday marked a key milestone with a ceremonial pooja ahead of commissioning its advanced composites manufacturing facility at Shoolagiri in Tamil Nadu.
The new facility, located within the Tamil Nadu Defence Industrial Corridor, will manufacture high-performance composite aero structures and materials for aerospace and defence applications. The plant is expected to support both Indian defence programmes and global aerospace supply chains. The formal inauguration of the facility is tentatively scheduled for mid-April 2026.
Officials said the state-of-the-art unit is designed to strengthen India’s capabilities in advanced composite manufacturing, a technology increasingly vital for next-generation aircraft, unmanned systems, radar structures and other mission-critical defence platforms.
R. Ramachandra Rao, Founder and Managing Director of Merlinhawk Aerospace, said the facility reflects the company’s efforts to build globally competitive aerospace manufacturing capabilities from India. He added that the collaboration with Vega Composites combines international expertise in advanced materials with India’s expanding engineering and manufacturing ecosystem.
“The initiative aligns strongly with the national vision of Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat while positioning India as a credible hub for high-performance aerospace manufacturing,” Rao said.
According to the company, the Shoolagiri facility has been designed as a globally compliant manufacturing centre, featuring advanced composite production technologies, specialised cleanroom environments, precision machining and aerospace-grade quality systems.
Commodore (Retd.) Bharat Bhushan Nagpal, Chief Executive Officer of Merlinhawk Composites and Engineering Pvt. Ltd., said advanced composite materials are central to the future of aerospace and defence engineering.
“This facility combines global technology collaboration, particularly with our Italian partners, and India’s rapidly evolving manufacturing capabilities,” Nagpal said. “Our objective is to build a globally competitive composite manufacturing platform that supports both Indian defence programmes and international aerospace customers.”
Beyond manufacturing, the facility is also expected to contribute to skill development in advanced materials engineering and create opportunities for specialised training in the region.
The upcoming commissioning of the Shoolagiri plant represents a strategic expansion of Merlinhawk’s broader aerospace ecosystem, complementing its existing capabilities in avionics, microwave systems, embedded solutions and integrated aerospace manufacturing services.
About the Companies
Merlinhawk Composites and Engineering Pvt. Ltd. is a joint venture between Merlinhawk Aerospace Pvt. Ltd., India, and Vega Composites, Italy, focused on advanced composite manufacturing for aerospace and defence applications.
Headquartered in Bengaluru, Merlinhawk Aerospace has more than four decades of experience in designing and manufacturing mission-critical systems for defence, aerospace and security sectors, with capabilities spanning avionics, microwave systems, embedded solutions and integrated manufacturing services for Indian defence programmes and global aerospace OEMs.