Safran opens a $163M LEAP engine MRO facility in Hyderabad, aiming for 1,100 jobs. The deeper story: The hub will also service M88 fighter jet engines, critical for India's defense self-reliance.
Brajesh Mishra
Prime Minister Narendra Modi today inaugurated the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility in Hyderabad, marking a historic milestone as the first time a global aircraft engine original equipment manufacturer (OEM) has established a dedicated maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) operation in India. The ₹1,300 crore (€150 million) investment addresses the critical problem of 85% of India's engine MRO demand currently being serviced overseas, but its true strategic importance lies in the concurrent announcement of MRO capabilities for the M88 engine, signaling a critical push for defense technology sovereignty.
For decades, India’s booming aviation sector—which has over 2,200 LEAP engines already in operation and thousands more on order—has been handicapped by a crippling reliance on foreign repair facilities, leading to major foreign exchange outflows and extended aircraft downtime. Safran, leveraging its 65-year presence and supportive Indian policy frameworks (like the MRO Guidelines 2021), constructed the 45,000 square meter facility within GMR Aerospace Park. This investment, part of a €1 billion global expansion by Safran, is projected to triple the company's annual India revenue to over $3.4 billion by 2030.
While most reports justly focus on the facility’s commercial achievement—making it one of the world's largest LEAP MRO centers—the deeper story is the Defense Integration Strategy. Simultaneously with the LEAP facility inauguration, Safran announced MRO capabilities for the M88 engine (which powers the Dassault Rafale fighter jets) and expanded avionics manufacturing in Bangalore. This dual-track approach signals that India is not merely seeking to service commercial engines; it is strategically leveraging foreign investment to gain indigenous capability in maintaining its front-line combat aircraft, a crucial step toward achieving defense technology sovereignty and reducing strategic dependency on foreign governments.
This dual-use investment fundamentally transforms the supply chain equation. By setting up MRO for the M88 engine, India gains critical indigenous support for its Dassault Rafale fleet, reducing reliance on France for maintenance cycles and strengthening strategic resilience against geopolitical supply chain risks. This precedent also ensures that future indigenous fighter jet programs, such as the AMCA, will have core engine support and maintenance capabilities localized, accelerating India’s emergence as a credible player in both global commercial and defense aerospace manufacturing.
Given Safran's dual investment in both commercial (LEAP) and defense (M88) engine maintenance, how quickly can India transition from merely servicing foreign technology to designing and manufacturing its own advanced aerospace components?
It's the first deep-level MRO center by a global engine OEM in India. It will service LEAP engines, ending India's 85% reliance on overseas maintenance, saving foreign exchange, and boosting the domestic aviation supply chain.
Safran has invested approximately ₹1,300 crore (€200M) in the main LEAP MRO center, plus €40 million in the adjacent M88 defense engine MRO. Safran expects its annual India revenue to triple to over €3 billion by 2030.
The site includes an MRO shop for the M88 engine (used in the Dassault Rafale fighter jets). This allows the Indian Air Force (IAF) to perform complex engine maintenance domestically, significantly increasing defense self-reliance.
The main facility will employ over 1,000 highly skilled Indian technicians by 2035. The M88 defense engine MRO shop will employ an additional 150 specialized personnel.
The LEAP engine (CFM International) is the dominant turbofan in India's commercial fleet. It powers most of the newest narrowbody aircraft, including the Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 MAX.
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