A delegation from the French company Safran, led by its CEO Olivier Andries, announced the intention to open a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in the country.
During a visit to New Delhi, Andries told Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh that the company plans to open a maintenance station in Hyderabad, in the center of the country. At the meeting, held on July 5, the CEO said that the plant will work on the LEAP-1A and -1B engines, which equip the A320neo and 737 MAX family respectively. The facility will serve both Indian and foreign airlines.
Safran will invest $150 million dollars. The enterprise is expected to create between 500 and 600 direct jobs. During the first phase, the Hyderabad plant will be able to work on more than 250 engines per year.
Olivier took the opportunity to brief Singh on the company’s plans to launch several subsidiaries in the country. The company will form several agencies in the subcontinent: Safran Aircraft Engines and Safran Electrical & Power India -both in Hyderabad- and Safran-HAL Aircraft Engines, in Bengaluru.
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Safran Aircraft Engines will require an investment of 36 million dollars and will be located on a 10-acre site within Hyderabad’s special economic zone. Aircraft engine parts and components will be produced there. Safran Electrical & Power India, on the other hand, will produce harnesses for civil and fighter aircraft. The joint venture between Safran and HAL, finally, will build rigid pipes for engines. To this end, it will hire around 160 employees.
Commenting on the announcements, Singh said: «We are a big market. That’s why we must focus on domestic manufacturing as a way to serve the industry’s needs competitively. We need to start taking advantage of the cost advantages and labor availability that India can offer.»
