If you thought being a young aircraft designer or engineer is all about dating flying machines and exploring hi-end technology, then you are mistaken. There's more to it, if you are with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL).

     For the first time in its history, the State-owned aviation major has launched a sustained national media campaign to bring youngsters in its fold. Result: Designers turn models. Engineers become co-stars. Technicians turn supporting cast and pilots form the cheer group.

     Choreographed by HAL's Corporate Communications team, the campaign had young design and management trainees handpicked from HAL's Management Academy (HMA). The campaign shoot involving HAL's young engineers were done in two schedules at the company's Corporate Office on Cubbon Road and Helicopter Division on Airport Road.

     "The focus of the company is now more on customer support, new design, development programmes and on youngsters. Hence, we launched this campaign with our youngsters on board. We want to tell young India that if you are chasing a dream in aviation, then HAL is the right place to be," says HAL chairman Mr Ashok K. Baweja. Interestingly, Mr Baweja rose the ranks in HAL from being a Management Trainee in the early Seventies.

     The tap-young-talent campaign synchronizes with HAL's recruitment of over 500 young engineers from various streams this year. A top-level team from HAL concluded a nation-wide campus recruitment drive for design engineers recently. The drive covered almost all IITs in Chennai, Mumbai, Roorkie, Guwahati and NITs at Warangal and Allahabad.

     The media campaign also saw HAL scripting a new catch-line – Join us, Propel your dreams. "This is a unique theme and we are all thrilled by the response it has elicited within the company. Our young brigade is very excited as they put their best foot forward to spread the essence of HAL among other youngsters," says Mr Sanjeev Sahi, Director (Personnel & Administration), HAL.

     Among the themes that are put in place for the campaign are: birthday celebration in the helicopter hangar, childhood aviation stories straight from the heart, ideas and rewards, walkathon with pilots and the first flight experience.

     “It’s a great honour to be the face of HAL through this campaign. My parents are also happy,” says Anushree from Bhagalpur in Bihar, one of the young Management Trainees, who took part in the campaign.

     The company also plans a series of promotional campaigns to portray Brand HAL image nationally and internationally.

Young engineers and designers with ALH pilots as part of the national media campaign

A young management trainee shows the thumbs-up sign before going for a sortie on ALH