Airbus appoints new head for its helicopters division

As Airbus competes on several military helicopter projects that would reinforce and enhance the local aerospace and defence industrial ecosystem, Ashish Saraf has arrived at as the head at the right time

Ashish Saraf has been appointed by Airbus as Head of the helicopter division of Airbus India. He will lead its initiatives across the civil, defence and parapublic rotorcraft markets. His appointment has been effective 1 July 2018. Saraf is based in New Delhi and is taking over from Xavier Hay who will leave India after six years to take over new responsibilities.

As Airbus competes on several military helicopter projects that would reinforce and enhance the local aerospace and defence industrial ecosystem, Ashish Saraf has arrived at as the head at the right time. Airbus Helicopters is also helping in developing new market segments such as Helicopter Emergency Medical Services (HEMS) and heli-tourism in the country.

Saraf was previously appointed as the Vice President – Industry Development, Strategic Partnerships and Offsets at Airbus India since 2015. His focal point was on the ‘Make in India’ initiatives aimed at enhancing the company’s industrial footprint.

Saraf was the India Head of the Tata Sikorsky joint venture and led Sikorsky’s industrialisation and strategic partnerships before he joined Airbus. His experience spans offsets, industrial relations, greenfield start-up development and strategic partnerships. He started his career with Dassault Systems and Deloitte Consulting and is an alumnus of the Symbiosis Institute of Business Management (SIBM), Pune and the National Institute of Technology (NIT), Nagpur.