Bangalore, May 08, 2006 (PTI)

Defence Aviation major Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is seriously concerned with talented and experienced employees being ‘poached’ by multinational companies setting shop in India to cash in on the high growth aviation sector.

HAL Chairman Ashok Baweja said though the company had a strong workforce of over 30,000, it was facing a problem of employees being taken away by other companies.

He referred to an engineer working in a critical area been offered a job by a multinational, offering a six figure salary. This was not affecting HAL alone, even Defence Research and Development Organisations were also losing scientists, he added.

''The problem is more acute with the entry level and middle level employees. Senior officers at the level of general managers are not leaving the organisation,'' Baweja said.

He added that the company being in public sector could not have any say with regard to the pay package. However, it was taking steps to ensure that the rich talent with the company is retained.

HAL was more concerned about its high skilled workers in view of its growing importance globally, especially indigenously made Advanced Light Helicoptor Dhruv and Intermediate Jet Trainer (IJT) had tremendous export potential.

With huge orders piling up, HAL was also looking outwardly to take up work on a consortium mode, involving major Indian companies.

It had already signed an MoU with Tata Consultancy Services, and talks are on with two other big companies.

However, Baweja did not identify the companies stating that the alliance would be stuck very soon.