Safran's €240M India MRO Investment Boosts Rafale Readiness and Asia-Pacific Aviation Hub

Safran’s Mega-Investment in India Poised to Revolutionise Asia-Pacific MRO Landscape

Mohd Hanif Ismail - : Nov 27, 2025 - : 9:58 am

To read the full article, please log in or enter your email below:

The global aerospace and defence Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) sector is set for a significant geographical shift following French industrial giant Safran’s massive new investment commitment in India. Targeting both soaring commercial aviation demand and critical defence readiness, the Group has announced the establishment of two pivotal MRO facilities in Hyderabad, cementing India’s growing role as a strategic hub for the Indo-Pacific. This move addresses the Indian aviation sector’s substantial MRO deficit and is a major endorsement of the government’s ambitious ‘Make in India’ industrial programme.

At the core of the civilian side of the expansion is a new MRO centre for CFM International LEAP engines, which power a large portion of the new-generation Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX fleets being rapidly adopted by Indian carriers. This facility represents a total investment of €200 million (approximately $232 million). Slated to be operational by 2026, the 45,000-square-metre centre is designed to achieve a capacity of up to 300 LEAP engine shop visits annually, complete with a next-generation test bench. Simultaneously, in a crucial win for military capability, a dedicated MRO facility for the M88 engines powering the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Dassault Rafale fighter jets was also announced. This essential facility, located adjacent to the LEAP centre, is valued at over €40 million (approx. $46.4 million) and will provide MRO services for more than 600 engine modules each year.

The scale of this combined investment highlights a strategic repositioning by Safran, a move detailed in their recent press statements. Safran Chief Executive Officer Olivier Andriès has stated that the Group plans to triple its annual revenue from India to exceed €3 billion (approximately $3.48 billion) by 2030, with half of this revenue generated by its sites within the country. This expansion is essential, as background analysis indicates that India’s civil and defence forces currently rely on facilities outside the country for an estimated 85% of their MRO requirements, leading to increased costs and lengthy turnaround times. The establishment of high-capacity, local MRO for critical platforms—both the LEAP commercial engine and the Rafale’s M88 military engine—will instantly improve the operational reliability and readiness of the Indian military and civil aviation fleets.

For the wider Asia-Pacific defence and aerospace community, this commitment signifies more than just national investment; it positions India as a rapidly developing service and supply base capable of supporting regional operations. In a contested geopolitical landscape where strategic logistics and engine maintenance can be a decisive factor, the in-country capacity to overhaul frontline fighter jet engines like the M88 ensures guaranteed fleet readiness, greatly enhancing India’s deterrence posture and projectable influence across the Indo-Pacific. By significantly localising both high-volume commercial and high-value military engine maintenance, Safran is helping to build an industrial pillar that will underpin the security and economic stability of one of the world's most dynamic regions.