French engineering consultancy company, Assystem, which operates in aerospace, automotive and nuclear energy sectors, plans to double its India headcount to 400-500 over the next two to three years.

This would make India the third largest subsidiary by workforce after France and Germany, the company said in a release here.

It quoted Mr J. Munirathnam, Managing Director of the Bangalore-based Assystem India, as saying the company would focus on the growing automotive sector and nuclear energy.

Revenues

In 2009, 23 per cent of Assystem's 2009 revenue of €613 million came from the nuclear energy sector. Next year, it expected to sign agreements with two to three companies. Bulk of the revenue comes from aeronautics.

“We have substantial expansion plans as the Indian market is strategically very important to us,” he said. In the next three years, Assystem India expected to touch revenue of $20 million compared with $6-8 million at present.

Expanded facility

On Thursday, the company inaugurated its new expanded facility. The expansion would enable the company to support the growing needs of its core sectors, globally and in the country, said Mr David Bradley, Executive Vice-President.

The Bangalore centre, set up in 2003, will work with the parent company as a combined global team on various projects.

Partners

Assystem currently works on the Airbus A380, A350XWB programmes and with Bombardier in Canada. Eurocopter, Airbus and Rolls-Royce could be working with the Indian company, it said.

In the auto sector, it works with Renault, Mercedes, Daimler-Benz India, Auto Europa/Volkswagen, PSA Peugeot Citroen and Nissan.