Azad Engineering opens lean manufacturing unit for Baker Hughes in Hyderabad

Hyderabad: Azad Engineering on Thursday opened a dedicated 7,600-sq mt lean manufacturing facility for US-based global energy technology giant Baker Hughes at its centre of excellence and innovation at Tuniki Bollaram, near Hyderabad, at an investment of around 200 crore.The new plant will manufacture high-precision components for Baker Hughes' industrial and energy technology division and is expected to employ around 230 skilled professionals, Azad Engineering said in a regulatory filing.The company said the facility marks a significant milestone in its partnership with Baker Hughes, which began in 2018 with the supply of critical rotating airfoils for gas and steam turbine finish stages and later expanded through raw material qualification, process validation and product approvals for critical components.Telangana IT and industries minister D Sridhar Babu, who inaugurated the facility, called it a proud moment for the state and said it reflects Telangana's emergence as a manufacturing hub under the Make in India and Make in Telangana initiatives.He said Telangana's precision engineering sector has recorded 30% year-on-year growth for a decade, while exports rose 103% last year, supported by over 1,500 MSMEs and repeat investments from global OEMs including Lockheed Martin, Boeing, GE Aviation, Safran, Airbus and Honeywell.Azad Engineering chairman and CEO Rakesh Chopdar said the facility was designed for scale, speed and precision, with advanced process flow, integrated quality systems and in-house special process capabilities aligned with global manufacturing standards.He said the plant is integrated with Azad's broader CoE ecosystem and will support high-volume production with micron-level tolerances.Baker Hughes vice president for IET operations Davide Marrani said the expansion would strengthen the company's global supply chain and support long-term growth.TGIIC vice chairman and managing director K Shashanka and Telangana aerospace and defence director Praveen PA were also present.