Some of the most cutting-edge technology is made by Spanish companies such as Indra. Right now, India is hungry for the best systems, and Indra, according to Victor Munoz Torres, Managing Director, Indra India, has the requisite wherewithal in terms of skilled human and manufacturing resources, and there is a vast potential for solid partnership.

SP’s M.A.I. (SP’s): Could you briefly introduce your activities?

Victor Munoz Torres (Torres): Indra with its headquarters in Madrid, Spain, is a global company whose strength lies in its technology, innovation and talent. It is a leading firm that provides world class, value added solutions and services to sectors such as defence, air traffic management, homeland security, transport and traffic, energy and industry, public administration and health care, financial services, and telecommunications and media. We currently have 42,000 skilled professionals, subsidiaries in 45 countries and executing sophisticated projects in 128 countries including India. While roughly 40 per cent of the company’s business comes from Europe, the remaining is from countries in the other regions and continents worldwide. Our offering includes 67 per cent ‘Solutions’ where we ‘Think and Build’ and 33 per cent is ‘Services’, where we ‘Operate’. The company’s turnover in 2013 was 3,000 million euro.

SP’s: Since when has the company been in India and what has been the growth?

Torres: Indra started its presence in India in 2007, with a contract for designing and co-production of Electronic Warfare Systems with a defence public sector undertaking (DPSU) for the Indian Navy. This was followed by more similar projects. Indra Sistemas India Pvt Ltd, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Indra, was incorporated in March 2009. Since then, we have won contracts in many areas in the air traffic management sector. Indra has been awarded the automation of air traffic control (ATC) systems at 38 airports managed by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) followed by a contract for nine secondary surveillance radars and ATC training simulators at four metro airports—Delhi, Mumbai, Chennai and Kolkata. The latest in line is the award of prestigious project for supply, installation and commission of automation system at the Kolkata Airport.

SP’s: There is mention that Indra is the second biggest company in Europe when it comes to investment in R&D. Are you looking at India as a place where R&D could happen, considering the talent pool available here?

Torres: At Indra, we are passionate about what we do. We have indepth knowledge about our client’s needs, and we make the seemingly most difficult things look easy. The company’s long-standing commitment to innovation has allowed us to improve our competitiveness year after year and continue to maintain our profile as a company with sustainable growth. In fact, the company invests between 6 per cent and 8 per cent of revenue in innovation per year (more than €550 million in the last three years) and has carried out 270 R&D&I projects.

As the Ambassador of Spain has mentioned in his interview recently, some of the most cutting-edge technology is made by Spanish companies such as Indra. India is a very fast developing country. She is hungry for the best systems, has the requisite wherewithal in terms of skilled human and manufacturing resources, and there is a vast potential for solid partnership. We, from Indra, are keen to partner with the Indian industry, the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), etc and since the technology that we can offer has been developed by us, we have no hesitation whatsoever to offer the latest to India.

SP’s: Could you indicate what is your breakthrough in defence in India, what products and solutions would you offer to India?

Torres: Indra has vast expertise in development and manufacture of defence and security systems. Over 3,400 km of the Spanish land and sea borders are guarded and most of the land, air and sea platforms of the Ministry of Defence in Spain and other NATO forces are protected with Indra technology. We have a complete range of solutions for defence needs that include electronic warfare, radar systems, air defence, C4I, sensors and electro-optics, simulators for all types of land, air and sea platforms, space, ILS, CBRN, UAVs, etc.

In India, we already have a workshare agreement with a DPSU for design and supply of EW systems for the Indian Army and Navy. We also have the contract for a prestigious SATCOM project for the Indian Ministry of Defence (MoD). Besides, we have collaboration arrangements with some leading Indian private industries as well. Other fields where we are aggressively participating include radars, CBRN and simulation systems.

SP’s: Would you be looking at India as a technology partner and invest accordingly in a joint venture?

Torres: Yes, we see India as a very big market where we can provide niche technology to meet the requirements of the clients. So far, we have been operating on collaboration and transfer of technology basis. But given an appropriate opportunity and business case, we are open to start a joint venture in India in the future.