Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 24: Pawan Hans must chart a five-year turnaround strategy by December. The Department of Public Enterprises (DPE) has issued the directive to the state-owned helicopter operator. The plan must cover financial and organisational restructuring, according to The Economic Times. It must also lift operational efficiency across the fleet.
The instruction reached the company in the first week of October. It followed a September meeting between senior DPE officials and Pawan Hans management. The company now plans to hire a senior consultant to draft the roadmap. A senior official said the operator holds strong potential to grow several times over. Such growth, the official added, would need proper government support.
The push stems from a committee led by Cabinet Secretary T. V. Somanathan. The panel recommended backing CPSEs with medium- to long-term strategic value. CPSEs, or central public sector enterprises, are companies majority-owned by the Union government.
Operational efficiency will be central to the exercise. Areas for review may include fleet utilisation, maintenance and workforce productivity. Stronger commercial viability would help the company fund future expansion.
The roadmap will also weigh new business verticals. Heli-tourism and religious pilgrimage travel are among the options under study. Helicopter emergency medical services, known as HEMS, are another possibility. Regional connectivity to remote and underserved areas also features on the list. Heliport development for such destinations could form part of the strategy. These remain areas of assessment rather than confirmed projects. Diversification could reduce the operator’s reliance on its existing business lines.
Fleet modernisation is already backed by funding. The civil aviation ministry has allocated ₹450 crore for the purpose. The money supports wider efforts to build domestic helicopter capacity. It also aims to improve air links to remote regions under the UDAN scheme. UDAN is the Centre’s regional connectivity programme for affordable flying. The Centre has also proposed inducting Dhruv helicopters from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL). The move reflects India’s emphasis on indigenous aerospace manufacturing.
The turnaround effort follows a failed attempt to sell the company. In May 2022, the government picked a Star9 Mobility-led consortium as the winning bidder. The group was to acquire a 51% stake for ₹211.14 crore. The deal was scrapped in July 2023 amid pending legal cases.
Pawan Hans is also exploring cleaner aviation technology. In August, it signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with Norway’s Noemi Aerospace. The pact covers possible cooperation on electric seaplanes and sustainable aviation.
Oversight of the company is shared between two arms of government. The civil aviation ministry serves as its administrative ministry. The DPE, under the finance ministry, frames performance and management guidelines for CPSEs.
The December plan will shape how Pawan Hans approaches its next five years. Its outcome will be closely linked to India’s push for wider regional air connectivity.
