Raghu Vamsi Group has signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with the University of Sheffield’s Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC) to support a planned super alloys facility and research and development centre in Telangana.
The Hyderabad-based group said the partnership will help build technological capabilities for advanced manufacturing, super alloys and single crystal castings as it expands into aerospace and defence manufacturing. The collaboration is also intended to draw on AMRC’s research and innovation capabilities.
“The collaboration will help us build the technology foundation for the super alloys sector, with the vision of making Telangana a global leader in super alloys,” Vamsi Vikas Ganesula, managing director of Raghu Vamsi Group, said in a release.
Under the MoU, the two sides will explore digitally enabled manufacturing processes and measures to improve supply-chain efficiency. The partnership is expected to support the group’s UK operations while developing capabilities connected to the proposed Telangana facility and research centre.
The collaboration will also examine logistics and inventory management, including the movement of materials between the UK and India. The partners will explore ways to reduce the environmental impact of that material movement, according to the company’s statement.
Workforce development is another component of the agreement. The partnership will support apprenticeships and skills training linked to the advanced manufacturing activities being explored by the two organisations.
Super alloys are used in demanding industrial applications where materials need to withstand high temperatures and stress. Single crystal castings are associated with high-precision manufacturing and are relevant to aerospace applications. The company’s announcement, however, did not provide details on the proposed facility’s investment, location, production capacity, land requirement or construction schedule.
The agreement brings an international research institution into the group’s plans for expanding its aerospace and defence manufacturing capabilities in Telangana. AMRC is the University of Sheffield’s advanced manufacturing research centre and will contribute research and innovation support under the collaboration.
The MoU will remain in place for an initial period of three years. The company said the partnership will focus on developing the technology foundation, supply-chain processes and workforce capabilities needed for the proposed super alloys initiative.
