

Bengaluru: Kota Ravi has assumed charge as the 22nd Chairman and Managing Director of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) on May day. He succeeded D K Sunil, who superannuated on April 30. Ravi brings over 30 years of experience across various sectors such as A&D, manufacturing and electronics, the Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) said in a release.
According to a press statement sent by the company, prior to his earlier role as the Director (Operations) at HAL, Ravi led strategic planning and played a key role in securing HAL's Maharatna status.
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"My vision is to transform HAL into a globally competitive aerospace and defence enterprise, driven by innovation, Artificial Intelligence (AI), operational excellence, and people," Ravi said upon his assumption of charge.
He has held key leadership roles, including Executive Director and General Manager of the LCA Tejas Division, as well as Executive Director (Corporate Planning).
During his tenure, he concluded various big-ticket contracts for HAL, such as the contract to supply 180 LCA Tejas to the Indian Air Force, 156 LCH Prachand to the Indian Army and Indian Air Force and is credited with the operationalisation of the LCA Tejas fleet in IAF, the company statement said.
He boosted fleet serviceability through various customer-centric initiatives, established seamless data communication with IAF bases and created a Single Point of Contact (SPOC) for timely customer support, it said.
Ravi has been a driving force in strengthening indigenous capabilities within the LCA Tejas programme by increasing local content and expanding production capacity in Nasik, the statement further mentioned.
He also played a pivotal role in developing a robust manufacturing ecosystem by outsourcing major fuselage assemblies to private sector partners, a strategy that is now delivering tangible results through ongoing deliveries.
His initiatives have diversified HAL into Civil manufacturing and Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO), creating new revenue streams and expanding HAL's market presence, it added.
A Mechanical Engineering graduate from Malnad College of Engineering, Karnataka, Ravi is an alumnus of IIM Ahmedabad and IAS, Toulouse, France.
He is also a Nominee Director on the board of Multi-Role Transport Aircraft Ltd.
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