Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the world’s largest Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility for CFM LEAP engines, marking a major milestone for India’s aviation sector. The facility, established by Safran SA, is poised to begin operations early next year and is expected to significantly enhance the country’s capabilities in aerospace maintenance, generate employment opportunities, and reinforce India’s position as a global aviation hub.

The inauguration ceremony also included the ground-breaking event for a second MRO facility dedicated to Safran’s M88 engines, which power the Rafale fighter jets. Notably, this will be the first MRO of its kind outside France. Addressing attendees virtually, Prime Minister Modi emphasized the transformative impact of these facilities on India’s aviation landscape, stating, “The Indian aviation sector is going to take a new flight from now. Safran’s new facility will help India emerge as a global MRO hub. This MRO facility will also create new opportunities for young people in the high-tech aerospace domain.”

Highlighting the rapid expansion of India’s domestic aviation market, Modi noted that the country ranks as the third-largest aviation market globally, with passenger demand increasing steadily. Indian airlines have placed orders for over 1,500 new aircraft, reflecting both domestic and international growth expectations. “Due to this expansion, MRO facilities are becoming increasingly critical. Currently, 85% of India’s aircraft maintenance is carried out abroad, resulting in higher costs and delays. This situation is unsustainable for a market of India’s scale. With Safran establishing deep-level servicing facilities in India for the first time, we are taking a significant step toward self-reliance in aviation maintenance,” Modi said.

The newly inaugurated CFM LEAP engine MRO facility involved an investment of approximately ₹2,000 crore and is designed to service around 300 engines annually. The M88 engine MRO, which focuses on military applications, represents an investment of ₹400 crore and will handle around 600 engine modules per year. The Prime Minister encouraged Safran to leverage India’s talent pool and MSME network for designing and verifying propulsion systems domestically, underscoring the government’s commitment to fostering advanced manufacturing and aerospace innovation within the country.

“Safran Aerospace works extensively on propulsion systems. I would like you to design propulsion systems and utilize India’s talent and infrastructure for verification. Today, India is not just dreaming big; it is making significant decisions and achieving remarkable success. We are taking bold steps in business, technology, and innovation, providing a strong foundation for global partnerships,” Modi said.

The Prime Minister also highlighted India’s reforms to attract global investment, citing the ease of doing business, expanded FDI routes in agriculture and defense sectors, and incentives under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) schemes. “These steps send a clear message to the world that India welcomes investment, innovation, and industrial collaboration. Betting on India is the smartest business decision of this decade,” he asserted.

Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu, Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, civil aviation secretary Samir Kumar Sinha, and Safran CEO Olivier Andriès were present at the event. Chief Minister Reddy noted that the MRO facility marked a significant milestone for Telangana, consolidating Hyderabad’s status as a major aerospace and defense hub. He said, “Hyderabad hosts more than 25 major global aerospace companies and over 1,500 MSMEs. This new facility, along with the upcoming M88 engine MRO, strengthens our industrial ecosystem and supports the Indian Air Force and Navy. Skilling is a critical criterion for attracting aerospace investments, and Telangana has upgraded 100 private institutes into advanced technology centers in partnership with Tata Technologies, ensuring young people are job-ready for advanced manufacturing roles.”

Reddy also emphasized the state’s plans to establish Hyderabad and Bangalore as aerospace and defense corridors, contributing to India’s broader vision of a “Viksit Bharat” by 2034. He highlighted the critical role of skilling initiatives, training programs, and partnerships between government and industry in supporting the aerospace sector’s growth.

Speaking about India’s aircraft MRO market, Civil Aviation Minister Naidu projected that the sector could be worth $4 billion by 2031, offering unprecedented opportunities for investment and employment. “The inauguration of this MRO facility represents another milestone in India’s growing collaboration with global aerospace leaders. It reflects the country’s strategic importance in civil aviation, where passenger traffic is expected to more than double over the next two decades,” Naidu said.

Safran CEO Olivier Andriès echoed the Prime Minister’s remarks, underscoring the strategic importance of Hyderabad in the company’s global operations. “India has become one of the fastest-growing markets in the world for civil aviation. Through CFM International, Safran has partnered with Indian airlines for over 30 years, with more than 500 aircraft currently equipped with CFM engines. The inauguration of our largest maintenance, repair, and overhaul facility worldwide in Hyderabad is a strategic step to support the rapid expansion of the fleet powered by LEAP engines, which include the next-generation Airbus A320Neo and Boeing 737 MAX. The facility will have the capacity to service 300 LEAP engines annually and feature the next-generation test bench developed by Safran,” he said.

The CFM LEAP engines are critical to modern commercial aviation, powering many of the new generation single-aisle aircraft entering service in India. With over 400 LEAP-powered aircraft in operation across five Indian airlines and an additional 2,000 LEAP engines on order, the new MRO facility is expected to play a pivotal role in supporting fleet expansion, reducing turnaround times, and lowering maintenance costs by keeping servicing domestic.

The ground-breaking for the M88 engine MRO represents a parallel development in military aviation, providing deep-level maintenance capabilities for Rafale jets operated by the Indian Air Force. With an annual capacity of 600 engine modules, this facility complements India’s efforts to develop indigenous aerospace capabilities while enhancing operational readiness and self-reliance in defense maintenance.

Prime Minister Modi and other dignitaries stressed the broader implications of these developments, noting that the facilities would not only boost India’s aviation and defense sectors but also create high-quality employment opportunities for engineers, technicians, and skilled workers in aerospace manufacturing and maintenance. They highlighted the synergy between global aerospace technology leaders like Safran and India’s young talent, reinforcing the country’s ambitions to become a global hub for aerospace manufacturing, MRO, and advanced propulsion system design.

In conclusion, the inauguration of Safran’s world-class MRO facilities in Hyderabad signals a transformative moment for India’s civil and defense aviation sectors. With significant investments, strategic capacity expansions, and a focus on leveraging India’s talent and MSME networks, the facilities are poised to enhance India’s global competitiveness, create jobs, and support the country’s growing fleet of commercial and military aircraft. As the aviation industry continues to expand, these facilities will serve as a cornerstone of India’s vision to become a leading global aerospace hub.

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