Panasonic Avionics to build IFEC software design centre in Pune

Inflight entertainment and connectivity (IFEC) systems supplier, Panasonic Avionics, is building its global software development capabilities with an investment in a new software design centre in Pune, India.

The centre will include state-of-the art labs that provide capability to build and validate new passenger experiences. Facilities are also being constructed to replicate the full scale of a narrowbody or widebody aircraft, enabling the engineering team to test IFE and connectivity software in situ.

The investment in Panasonic Avionics’ global software engineering capabilities is also intended to help the company improve the time to market of next-generation in-flight entertainment systems, connectivity systems, and digital apps.

Satyen Yadav, chief technology officer of Panasonic Avionics Corporation, said of the investment: “We are excited to complement the excellent work of our US-based teams with the development and growth of our new capabilities in India. This combined group of skilled engineers is enabling us to grow and future-proof our software development capabilities and ensure the highest levels of reliability in our systems. This new expertise in India is already delivering a wide range of software-related services – everything from new OS platforms, mobile apps, interactive software, cloud and data engineering to automation and software architecture design.”

In 2021, Panasonic Avionics invested in a ‘build-operate-transfer’ (BOT) operation that today employs over 250 skilled engineers. Over the next 12 months, Panasonic Avionics also plans to unveil a new operations facility in Pune. The company is planning for further grow its engineering staff based in India to over 400, bringing Panasonic Avionics’ worldwide software development sites to four locations and a global team with more than 1,000 software developers.