
Wipro Infrastructure Engineering to acquire majority stake in Lauak Group
Bengaluru: Wipro Infrastructure Engineering (WIN) is acquiring a majority stake in the French aerospace manufacturer Lauak Group to expand its footprint in the European aerospace sector and enhance its global capabilities to support key industry players.
WIN and the Charritton Family, founders of Lauak Group, have entered into an exclusive agreement at the Paris Air Show and the new entity will be christened Wipro Lauak. The transaction is expected to close in the coming months, subject to customary closing conditions.
Founded in 1975, the French aerospace manufacturer Lauak Group specialises in sheet metal, machining, welding, piping, and assembly. Lauak produces a comprehensive range of products from elementary parts to complex assemblies in structure and engine components.
Lauak is a 50-year-old, family-owned aerospace manufacturer, serving as a tier-1 supplier to major global aerospace companies.
Pratik Kumar, CEO of WIN and MD of Wipro Enterprises, said, "This planned acquisition represents a significant moment in the continued growth of Wipro Aerospace. Lauak's rich legacy in aerospace and specialised expertise align with our long-term vision of building a fully integrated, global aerospace solutions platform."
Mikel Charritton, CEO of Lauak Group, said, "Planning to join forces with Wipro offers an exciting opportunity to innovate and internationalise. Together, we will strengthen our position in the aerospace industry and continue delivering high-quality solutions to our customers worldwide."
This proposed acquisition will reinforce Wipro's position as a trusted industrial partner in France, driving innovation, creating employment opportunities, and advancing the nation's strategic autonomy in aerospace. The terms of the transaction include the establishment of a Board of Directors comprising representatives from both sides. To ensure the long-term continuity of operations, Mikel Charritton will remain CEO of the company.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Indian Express
an hour ago
- Indian Express
When PM Modi went to Cyprus: A Mediterranean push, a buffer against Turkey
Written by Shairee Malhotra On June 15, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the island nation of Cyprus on a two-day visit, marking the third by an Indian PM after Atal Bihari Vajpayee in 2002, as a key stopover on his way to the G7 summit in Canada. This marked Modi's first foreign tour since Operation Sindoor against the backdrop of escalating tensions in the Middle East and volatile global developments. As evident in Modi's visit in February to the port city of Marseille in France, which also recently hosted the inaugural edition of Raisina MED — an extension of New Delhi's flagship Raisina Dialogue — India is keenly watching and investing in its outreach to the Mediterranean. With its strategic location in the Eastern Mediterranean at the crossroads of Europe, North Africa and the Middle East, Cyprus is positioning itself as a key partner and important node towards realising the India-Middle East-Europe-Economic Corridor (IMEC) linking India to Europe. This convergent outlook on connectivity underpins the two countries' interest in expanding ties. Modi's visit focused on boosting avenues for India-Cyprus bilateral collaboration across a range of sectors from trade and investment to innovation, security and connectivity, and mobility and tourism. Referring to Cyprus as the 'gateway into Europe' for Indian companies, President Nikos Christodoulides and Modi addressed economic stakeholders at the India-Cyprus CEO Forum in Limassol, pitching greater business linkages in the areas of civil aviation, shipbuilding, startups, infrastructure and innovation. Bilateral trade in 2023-2024 was valued at $136.96 million, and a newly launched trilateral India-Greece-Cyprus (IGC) Business and Investment Council is likely to accelerate this. Already, Cyprus, with a population of only 1.3 million, is among the top 10 sources of Foreign Direct Investment into India due to its friendly taxation regime and the routing of various European investments via Cyprus. Freshly signed MoUs between NSE International Exchange Gift City and Cyprus Stock Exchange will bolster financial ties. Moreover, Cyprus may become the second European country after France to adopt India's UPI for cross-border transactions. In tandem with recent custom, Modi also interacted with the 11,000-strong Indian diaspora in Cyprus, with plans for direct air connectivity and enhanced people-to-people ties on the radar. As the India-EU entente strengthens across multiple sectors from technology and trade to security and defence, this outreach to Cyprus forms part of a robust and expanded Indian footprint in Europe, moving beyond traditional power centres and tapping new geopolitically significant geographies. In recent years, New Delhi has deepened its engagement with the Central and Eastern Europe region, the Nordics, the Baltics and now increasingly the Mediterranean. Meanwhile, Cyprus's upcoming six-month Presidency of the Council of the EU in 2026 is an opportunity to shape narratives at the EU level and progress towards concluding the India-EU Free Trade Agreement, already touted as a priority by the Cypriot government. The visit was strategically timed on the heels of rising Indian tensions with Turkey that provided overt political and military support in the form of drones, cargo planes and a warship to Pakistan during clashes following the terrorist attack in Pahalgam. Since then, India has attempted to galvanise countries to unify against terrorism and consolidate global support following Operation Sindoor and its targeting of Pakistan's terrorist infrastructure. Both India and Cyprus have historically reinforced each other's positions in their respective regional disputes on Kashmir and Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus. Considered amongst India's most 'time-trusted and dependable friends', Cyprus has supported a permanent seat for India on the United Nations Security Council, and its entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group. To counter a belligerent Turkey-Pakistan-Azerbaijan axis, India has systematically deepened relations with Greece, Cyprus and Armenia, which have their own troubled histories with this alignment. Against this backdrop, Modi's visit to the Green Line, the demilitarised buffer zone between Cyprus and the Turkish-occupied Northern Cyprus, was a symbolic act of solidarity with the former. The India-Cyprus joint declaration devoted a substantial section towards counter-terrorism efforts, including dismantling of terrorist infrastructure and safe havens, coupled with strong Cypriot condemnation of the Pahalgam terrorist attack. The two countries are aiming to expand defence ties, building upon a previous MoU signed in 2022 and a Bilateral Defence Cooperation Programme (BDCP) in 2025, through greater defence industrial cooperation, new dialogues on maritime security and cybersecurity, and cooperation on crises responses and emerging technologies. Renewable energy is another area of convergence, given Cypriot efforts in gas exploration in the resource-laden Eastern Mediterranean and India's quest to diversify energy imports. As New Delhi and Nicosia upgrade their partnership and deliberate on the formation of a five-year roadmap for the future, harnessing economic and geopolitical synergies will pave the way for a promising, fresh era in Indo-Cypriot relations. The writer is Deputy Director and Europe Fellow at the Observer Research Foundation


Hindustan Times
2 hours ago
- Hindustan Times
Hague NATO summit aims to focus on Trump's spending goal but Iran looms large
* Hague NATO summit aims to focus on Trump's spending goal but Iran looms large Leaders set to agree to spend 5% of GDP on defence * US strikes on Iran could overshadow gathering * Spain insists it can spend less than new target * NATO aims to keep Trump on board despite previous criticism By Andrew Gray and Sabine Siebold THE HAGUE, - The NATO alliance has crafted a summit in The Hague this week to shore itself up by satisfying U.S. President Donald Trump with a big new defence spending goal - but it now risks being dominated by the repercussions of his military strikes on Iran. The two-day gathering is also intended to signal to Russian President Vladimir Putin that NATO is united, despite Trump's previous criticism of the alliance, and determined to expand and upgrade its defences to deter any attack from Moscow. The summit and its final statement are meant to be short and focused on heeding Trump's call to spend 5% of GDP on defence - a big jump from the current 2% goal. It is to be achieved by investing more in both militaries and other security-related spending. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, however, upset NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte's preparations on Sunday as he declared Madrid did not need to meet the new spending target even as Spain approved the summit statement. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has had to settle for a seat at the pre-summit dinner on Tuesday evening - rather than a formal session with the leaders when they meet on Wednesday - due to his volatile relationship with Trump. The U.S. bombing of Iranian nuclear sites at the weekend makes the summit much less predictable than Rutte - a former prime minister of the Netherlands hosting the gathering in his home city - and other NATO member countries would like. IRAN INTRODUCES UNCERTAINTY INTO SUMMIT Much will depend on the precise situation in the Middle East when the summit takes place - such as whether Iran has retaliated against the U.S. - and whether other NATO leaders address the strikes with Trump or in comments to reporters. If the meeting does not go to plan, NATO risks appearing weak and divided, just as European members confront what they see as their biggest threat since the end of the Cold War - Russia - while bracing for possible U.S. troop cuts on the continent. Under the new defence spending plan, countries would spend 3.5% of GDP on "core defence" - essentially, weapons and troops - and a further 1.5% on security-related investments such as adapting roads, ports and bridges for use by military vehicles, protecting pipelines and deterring cyber-attacks. Such an increase - to be phased in over 10 years - would mean hundreds of billions of dollars more spending on defence. Last year, alliance members collectively spent about 2.6% of NATO GDP on core defence, amounting to about $1.3 trillion, according to NATO estimates. The lion's share came from the United States, which spent almost $818 billion. US DEMANDS EUROPE SPEND MORE ON ITS OWN DEFENCE Washington has insisted it is time for Europeans to take on more of the financial and military burden of defending their continent. European leaders say they have got that message but want an orderly and gradual transition, fearful that any gaps in their defences could be exploited by Putin. They are particularly keen to stress their spending commitment as Trump has previously threatened not to protect allies that do not spend enough on defence. A prepared text summit statement agreed by NATO governments and seen by Reuters says: "We reaffirm our ironclad commitment to collective defence as enshrined in Article 5 of the Washington Treaty - that an attack on one is an attack on all." As part of their efforts to keep Trump onside, NATO officials have shunted difficult topics to the sidelines of the summit or kept them off the agenda altogether. While many European nations see Russia as an ever-growing threat, Trump has expressed a desire for better economic relations with Moscow - a prospect that Europeans think would help Russia to strengthen its military and threaten them more. Similarly, many Europeans are deeply wary of Trump's moves to lessen Russia's diplomatic isolation as part of his efforts to secure a deal to end the war in Ukraine. The brief summit statement will include just one reference to Russia as a threat to Euro-Atlantic security and another to allies' commitment to supporting Ukraine, diplomats say. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.


Hans India
3 hours ago
- Hans India
Maximizing Reach on Facebook and YouTube with AI Dubbing Tools
Creating content that resonates with a global audience has never been more accessible. With billions of users on platforms like Facebook and YouTube, content creators have an incredible opportunity to amplify their reach. However, one significant barrier remains—language. For creators aiming to captivate international audiences, overcoming linguistic hurdles is essential. Enter AI dubbing tools, a game-changing innovation enabling content creators to translate and localize their videos seamlessly, leading to broader audiences, higher engagement, and increased accessibility. This article explores how AI dubbing tools are reshaping the landscape of content creation on Facebook and YouTube. We'll discuss the advantages of AI dubbing, practical tips for integrating these tools into your workflow, and how this technology can elevate your global content strategy. Breaking Language Barriers with AI Dubbing Tools Language barriers are a leading obstacle in achieving global reach. While machine-generated subtitles have been around for years, they often lack the nuance and tonal accuracy required for impactful storytelling. AI dubbing tools address this limitation by enabling creators to produce high-quality, localized voiceovers in multiple languages. Here's how they help: 1. Wider Audience Reach By using AI dubbing tools, creators can translate their content into various languages, making it accessible to audiences in non-native markets. This seamless translation ensures messages are communicated accurately, helping brands and creators reach untapped territories across the globe. For instance, a YouTube video initially created for English-speaking audiences can, within minutes, be dubbed into Spanish, Mandarin, or French. This ability to break the language barrier not only expands the audience pool but also enhances the likelihood of the content going viral globally. 2. Cultural Relevance AI-powered dubbing tools can adapt voice modulations, accents, and tonal variations to align with cultural nuances. This attention to localization ensures that video content resonates more naturally with target audiences from diverse backgrounds. The result? Content that feels authentic and relatable, encouraging more engagement and shares. 3. Cost and Time Savings Traditionally, dubbing services required manual translations, voice actors, and extensive post-production work. This process was costly and time-consuming. AI dubbing automates this workflow, significantly reducing costs while delivering high-quality results in a fraction of the time. 4. Scalability Scalability has also become a reality with AI dubbing. While human-led dubbing may handle a limited number of projects simultaneously, AI-powered systems are designed to process large volumes of content quickly. Whether you're managing one video or hundreds, these tools help streamline operations for creators and businesses alike. Why AI Dubbing is a Game-Changer for Facebook and YouTube Both Facebook and YouTube are visual storytelling platforms built for engagement, yet the content landscape continues to evolve. Here's why AI dubbing tools are particularly impactful on these platforms. 1. Facebook: Boosting Engagement via Localized Content Facebook prioritizes videos tailored to its diverse user base. Posts in local languages often gain more traction, as they feel more relevant to viewers. Dubbing content in multiple languages increases the likelihood of reaching Facebook's vast community of over 2.9 billion monthly active users. Key Benefits for Facebook Creators: Localized Ad Campaigns AI dubbing enables businesses and influencers to create hyper-local ads tailored to specific demographics. This improves their ad relevance scores and ROI. Greater Shareability Localized content is more likely to be shared within cultural communities, expanding organic reach. Accessibility Features AI dubbing also complements Facebook's commitment to accessibility by ensuring objective deliverables for audiences with auditory or linguistic challenges. 2. YouTube: Connecting with a Global Audience YouTube hosts a truly international audience, with over 122 million daily active users accessing the platform to watch diverse content. Viewers often search for content that caters to their local language or culture. AI dubbing enables creators to deliver content that meets these demands, increasing their potential to attract subscribers and grow their channel. Key Benefits for YouTube Creators: Higher View Durations When videos are dubbed in viewers' native languages, they are far more likely to watch the content in its entirety, boosting engagement metrics such as average view duration and watch time. Enhanced Discoverability YouTube's algorithm places a strong emphasis on engagement. Higher retention rates and increased watch time improve the chances of videos being recommended, resulting in better discoverability. Monetization Opportunities Extending reach to non-native audiences provides creators with more monetization opportunities through ad revenue, sponsorships, and brand partnerships. Practical Tips for Integrating AI Dubbing into Your Workflow Adopting AI dubbing doesn't require a complete overhaul of your existing content strategy. With the right approach, you can seamlessly leverage these tools for maximum results. Here's how you can get started: 1. Choose the Right AI Dubbing Tool Not all AI dubbing tools are created equal. Look for solutions that offer high accuracy, natural-sounding voices, and customizable options for multilingual dubbing. For example, platforms like AI Studios offer advanced AI capabilities that ensure your translated voiceovers maintain authenticity and precision. 2. Start with Your Existing Content Begin by updating your most popular videos, as these are likely to benefit the most from localization. Use analytics to identify the languages and demographics of your audience, then dub content accordingly for higher reach. 3. Monitor Performance Metrics After implementing AI dubbing, keep a close eye on engagement metrics such as views, watch time, and shares for dubbed content. This allows you to measure the effectiveness of the localization efforts and refine your strategy over time. 4. Prioritize Accuracy and Naturalness Ensure the AI tool you choose can replicate the nuances of human speech, such as tone, pitch, and rhythm. Poorly dubbed content can detract from viewer experience and harm your credibility. 5. Incorporate Localized Marketing Strategies AI dubbing should be part of a holistic localization strategy. Develop region-specific campaigns that account for cultural, regional, and linguistic nuances to maximize impact. 6. Stay Consistent with Branding While localization may adapt tone and language, your brand identity should remain consistent. Work with AI dubbing tools that allow you to maintain your brand's distinctive voice regardless of the target audience. AI Dubbing and Its Role in Global Content Strategies For creators and brands aiming to develop a global content strategy, AI dubbing represents a crucial advantage. By eliminating language barriers, streamlining workflows, and opening new markets, AI dubbing elevates digital storytelling to a global stage. Imagine a small beauty brand in the United States suddenly acquiring customers from Southeast Asia, or an educational YouTube channel breaking records in Latin America due to localized tutorials. These are not hypothetical scenarios; AI dubbing makes them attainable. Beyond audience growth, localized content fosters meaningful connections that drive long-term loyalty. Viewers are more likely to trust and value brands and creators that take the time to engage in their language and culture. The Future of AI Dubbing The trajectory of AI dubbing is set to revolutionize content delivery. Advances in synthetic voice technology, natural language processing, and machine learning will only heighten the accuracy and adaptability of dubbing tools. For early adopters, this innovation provides a competitive edge, allowing them to stay ahead in an increasingly globalized digital economy. Given the rapid growth of multilingual and multicultural content consumption online, creators who invest in AI dubbing today can secure a foothold in tomorrow's global marketplace. Final Thoughts The ability to cross language barriers and speak directly to diverse audiences is a superpower for any content creator or brand. AI dubbing tools allow you to break down those barriers, enabling you to broaden your reach, increase engagement, and build a more inclusive content strategy. For creators on Facebook and YouTube, leveraging this technology is not just a choice—it's a necessity for growth in a global market. Start small by dubbing your most successful videos and gradually expand your efforts. With the right approach and tools, you'll unlock opportunities that were once out of reach. Learn more about how ai dubbing tools can transform your content creation workflow here.