French major, Safran, on Wednesday set foot in India with its maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for LEAP aircraft engines in Hyderabad, which was inaugurated virtually by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi.
The aerospace, defence and space segments-manufacturing firm said the facility would be operational in 2026, and expressed optimism to triple its annual revenue in India to more than 3 billion euros by 2030.
“The new LEAP engine MRO centre represents a total investment of 200 million euros and will be operational in 2026. The 45,000-square-meter facility will ramp up to a capacity of 300 LEAP shop visits a year and boast a next-generation test bench,” the company said in a release.
While the MRO facility is for LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines that power Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX planes, Safran also announced its decision to set up a dedicated MRO facility for the M88 engines powering the Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter jets, which too would be in Hyderabad.
These engines are manufactured by CFM International, an equal joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace.
India is CFM’s third-largest market, with five Indian carriers operating more than 400 LEAP-powered aircraft and 2,000 engines on order.
Prime Minister Modi said India has taken a huge leap in the aviation sector in the last few years, making the country one of the fastest growing in world aviation, with its domestic market being the world’s third largest.
Not only will the new facility provide more job opportunities for the youth, it will also further establish India as a trusted partner for big firms, said the PM, adding that with the introduction of GST reforms, new labour codes, and the insolvency and bankruptcy code, the country has made doing business easier and more transparent.
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“Because of these efforts, India is now seen as a trusted partner, a major market, and a rising manufacturing hub. India today has rapid growth, a stable government, a reform-oriented mindset, a vast young talent pool, and a large domestic market. And most importantly, for those investing in India, the country considers them not merely as investors but as co-creators, stakeholders in the journey of Viksit Bharat,” he said.
Set up with an initial investment of Rs 1,300 crore, the facility is for the LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines, which power the narrow-body Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The new site will employ more than 250 people at launch and up to 1,100 at full capacity, said Safran in a statement.
Also, an on-site training center will train more than 100 Indian technicians and engineers each year.
It is for the first time that a global OEM is establishing Deep Level Servicing facility in the country, said the PM, and added that he hoped for India to venture into designing on a large scale.
“In addition, today 100 per cent FDI is possible in most sectors. In sectors such as defense, where there was no place for the private sector earlier, 74 per cent FDI has been opened automatically. There is also a lot of progress in the space sector,” he explained.
Recently, India ordered 26 Rafale M naval variants and already operates 36 Rafale and 47 Mirage 2000 fighters.
Safran CEO Olivier Andries said the two new MRO centres in Hyderabad dedicated to the LEAP and M88 engines, and the new joint venture with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) underscore India’s importance to the Group.
“We are proud to support the rapid growth of India’s civil and defense aerospace markets and actively contribute to the country’s Make-in-India policy and strategic autonomy. Safran will triple its revenue in India to exceed 3 billion euros by 2030, of which half will be ‘Made in India’ by our Indian facilities. At the same time, Safran will multiply by five its sourcing in the country,” he said.
The Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility will be among the largest global aircraft engine MRO facilities.
On November 24, Safran inked a joint venture and cooperation agreement with Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) to manufacture Safran Electronics & Defense’s ‘Hammer’ modular air-to-surface weapon.
In February 2025, Safran had announced investments totalling over 30 million euros for two projects – an engineering centre in Bengaluru specialising in avionics and actuators, and an electronics and actuation manufacturing facility in Bengaluru.
The engineering centre, which is operational now, has around 250 staff, while the facility in Bengaluru, with 400 employees, will start operations in 2026.
SAFHAL – the joint venture between Safran Helicopter Engines and HAL -- started designing the Aravalli engine for two future heavy helicopters for the Indian Armed Forces in 2024.
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