Hyderabad, Oct 13 (IANS) Eurocopter, the global leader in chopper manufacturing, sees the Indian market doubling in the next few years. “We believe that the helicopter market in the country has the potential of doubling in the next few years,” Norbert Ducrot, Eurocopter’s senior vice president sales & marketing (Asia) said in a statement Monday.

“As always, we at Eurocopter are set to bring in our expertise to support this incredible significant growth of the Indian helicopter industry by offering end-to-end helicopter services,” Ducrot added

The company will present its range of commercial helicopters and latest technology at the four-day India Aviation 2008, the first international exhibition on the civil aviation sector that opens here Wednesday.

“With plans for flying ambulances, services to tourist destinations and religious places, and proposals to set up heliports in Delhi and Mumbai, the helicopter has a busy time ahead,” Ducrot pointed out.

In the civilian sector, 64 Eurocopters of different models are currently flying in India, representing a market share of 40 percent.

The most active sector is oil and gas, where Eurocopter commands over 50 percent of the market share. Other segments where the company holds a key position are charter and tourism services, and the VIP/corporate segment where Eurocopter’s clientele includes leading groups like Reliance, Jindals, Kingfisher and Sahara.

Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defence and related services. The group employs about 14,000 people.

In 2007, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s number one helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover exceeding 4 billion euros, orders for 802 helicopters, and a 53 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors.