Safran has pledged to increase its sourcing from India fivefold as it inaugurated its largest Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre for the CFM International LEAP engine in Hyderabad.

The inauguration was attended virtually by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, underlining the strategic importance of this development to India's aerospace sector. Safran’s CEO, Olivier Andriès, also announced ambitious plans to triple the company's revenue in India by 2030, with half of that generated domestically.

The new LEAP engine MRO centre represents an investment of around €200 million and is expected to be operational by 2026. It covers 45,000 square metres within the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park near Hyderabad airport, with capacity to service 300 LEAP engines annually.

This facility supports India's growing market, as India is the third-largest market for the LEAP engine, with over 400 LEAP-powered aircraft operated by five Indian carriers and 2,000 engines on order. The centre aims to employ over 250 people initially, scaling up to 1,100 at full capacity, and features an on-site training centre educating over 100 technicians and engineers annually to boost local skills and operational excellence.

Alongside this, Safran officially announced a new MRO facility for the M88 engine, used in Dassault Aviation's Rafale fighter jets, adjacent to the LEAP centre. This smaller facility, a €40 million investment covering 5,000 square metres, will handle over 600 engine modules a year and employ 150 people at full capacity.

The facility will prioritise engines for the Indian Air Force and provide MRO services for other M88 export customers, reinforcing Safran’s longstanding relationship with India’s military aviation sector, where India operates Rafale and Mirage-2000 fighters.

Safran also formalised a Joint Venture with Bharat Electronics Limited to produce the "Hammer" modular air-to-surface weapon, compatible with the Rafale and HAL TEJAS aircraft, demonstrating a further commitment to India's defence manufacturing ecosystem and the Make in India initiative.

Prime Minister Modi emphasised that India’s aviation sector is poised for major growth and that Safran’s investment will establish India as a global MRO hub.

He highlighted the importance of developing indigenous maintenance capabilities, reducing outsourcing costs, and creating employment opportunities for Indian youth, aligning with government policies aimed at strengthening India’s aerospace manufacturing and service ecosystem.

This expansion and investment by Safran support India’s strategic autonomy goals in aerospace and defence, create significant employment opportunities, and represent a major step in localising high-value manufacturing and maintenance capabilities for civil and military aviation in India.

Agencies