Global aerospace major Safran plans to invest heavily in engineering, manufacturing, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facilities to become a major player in India’s growing civil aviation market.
JS Gavankar, Chief Executive Officer and Country Head, Safran India, in a conversation with BusinessLine, said that Indian civil aviation has the potential to emerge as a global aerospace manufacturing and MRO hub. .
“Saffron India plans to significantly expand its investments to cater to the growing civil aviation market and support the needs of military customers,” he said.
Notably, global aerospace giants are considering major investments in India in the coming years, including in civil and defense MRO, manufacturing, joint ventures and new development programmes.
“The company aims to further strengthen its manufacturing and research and development capabilities by establishing more state-of-the-art facilities, particularly for design engineering, precision and advanced propulsion system components, and system MRO.” said.
Gavankar told BusinessLine that Safran India is committed to supporting the ‘Make in India’ initiative by increasing local sourcing, promoting indigenous production and working with Indian partners. Ta.
Additionally, the global aerospace giant plans to strengthen its engineering and electronics manufacturing centers in Bengaluru and focus on innovative solutions for the civil and military sectors, he said.
We have made significant investments in India and have over 2,200 employees and multiple facilities focused on manufacturing, research and development, and engineering services.
Safran will commission a helicopter engine MRO facility in Goa and a ‘LEAP’ engine MRO facility in Hyderabad in 2025, further strengthening its support to civil aviation operators.
In addition, the global aerospace giant plans to establish additional state-of-the-art facilities for design engineering, precision components, and systems MRO.
Gavankar said Safran plans to support India’s civil aviation operations through a robust maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility to meet the growing needs of the aviation sector.
“The company has set up a state-of-the-art MRO facility in Hyderabad with a focus on servicing the ‘LEAP’ engines that will power the majority of India’s new generation aircraft. “This facility will be SAFRAN’s largest LEAP engine MRO in the world, capable of handling a large number of engine overhauls each year,” he said.
“The MRO facility will significantly reduce turnaround times and improve aircraft availability and operational efficiency for Indian airlines.The facility will also be used to support ‘LEAP’ MRO for airlines in the region. , which will help slowly build India as an MRO hub. ”
On the procurement side, Gavankar said Safran has been sourcing components from Indian suppliers for over 20 years.
“We have very high quality suppliers, some of which are among the top five in the group. In response to the Indian government’s call for ‘Make in India’, SAFRAN has already established Gavankar said the company has started manufacturing many parts and systems in India for the company.
“Our sourcing from India is a mix of Indian MSMEs, our subsidiaries and joint ventures.We have a target of doubling our sourcing within the next two to three years. ”
Further, the presence of Safran’s local team in India will provide round-the-clock support to airlines, ensure prompt technical intervention and minimize aircraft on ground (AOG) situations, he said. .
