Calcutta, Sept. 19: Rossell Tea plans to acquire companies for its aeronautics business. It is eyeing companies that will help in product support, services and pilot training.

By 2010, the company expects its Aerotech Services to generate more revenues than the tea business, which now earns around Rs 56 crore.

“The opportunities in the civil aviation sector are immense. Airlines have to turn to companies abroad for service. We plan to operate in this space. There is also a shortage of trained pilots,” said Harsh M. Gupta, executive chairman of Rossell Tea Ltd.

The company will announce a joint venture with an international firm to set up an aviation academy for pilot training next month.

The aviation division is set to grow between 100 per cent and 200 per cent in the next few years.

Last September, Aerotech Services acquired Hyderabad-based Sigma Microsystems, which manufactures flight data recorders, popularly known as black boxes.

Rossell Tea may be renamed Rossell Ltd, which would be the holding company of the tea and aviation businesses.

Rossell plans to foray into the services sector by the next fiscal.

“We are looking at other diversifications and something on the service sector front would be up next. However, I cannot reveal anything more than that now,” said Gupta.

The tea division, which produces the orthodox variety, is expected to post a 15 per cent growth in production.

“The world orthodox market continues to experience a shortage because of a poor crop in Sri Lanka between February and April 2007. A strike in that country in December added to the shortfall. Production in India is expected to be higher. However it will be a daunting task to match the Rs 98.82-per-kg price realisation level achieved last fiscal,” Gupta added.

However, exports, which contribute around 10 per cent of the company’s turnover, will remain its focus, especially in markets such as Germany and Iran.