Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday inaugurated the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility at the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park near Hyderabad airport via videoconferencing. The facility, set up by French aerospace major Safran, is India’s first deep-level aircraft engine Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre established by a global original equipment manufacturer.
Speaking at the inauguration, the Prime Minister said, “From today, India’s aviation sector is taking a new flight. Safran’s new facility will help establish India as a global MRO hub.” He said the facility will create new opportunities for young people in the aerospace sector and noted that Safran’s leadership had expressed confidence in India during meetings with him on November 24.
PM Modi said that India’s aviation sector has grown rapidly in recent years. “Today, India stands among the fastest-growing domestic aviation markets in the world,” he said, adding that India’s domestic market is now the third largest. He said rising aspirations of people are driving demand for air travel, and Indian airlines have ordered more than 1,500 new aircraft to meet future needs.
On the need for domestic MRO capacity, the Prime Minister said nearly 85 per cent of India’s MRO work was being done abroad, resulting in higher costs and longer aircraft downtime. “Such a situation was not suitable for a vast aviation market like India,” he said. He added that India aims to become one of the world’s major MRO hubs and that “for the first time, a global OEM is establishing deep-level servicing facilities in the country.”
He said Safran’s training programmes and knowledge transfer would help build a skilled workforce. The company’s partnerships with Indian institutions, he added, would give momentum to the MRO ecosystem. PM Modi also said India is developing an MRO ecosystem beyond aviation, including in shipping.
The Prime Minister urged Safran to explore designing aircraft engines and components in India. He noted that the country’s MSME network and young talent pool could support such work. He also said India wants global companies to use the country’s capabilities in propulsion design and manufacturing.
PM Modi said that India is taking bold decisions to strengthen its economic environment. “We are dreaming big, doing bigger and delivering best,” he said.
Pointing to recent reforms, he said that India has simplified rules, expanded foreign investment routes and implemented policies to improve the ease of doing business.
He said, “India welcomes investments, India welcomes innovation.” He added that India has reduced more than 40,000 company compliances, decriminalised hundreds of business-related provisions, and brought approvals onto a single platform through the National Single Window System. He said GST reforms, faceless tax systems, new labour codes and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code have made processes simpler and more transparent.
PM Modi emphasised that India sees investors as partners. “In India, we regard those who invest not merely as investors, but as co-creators – stakeholders in our journey towards a developed nation,” he said. Concluding his address, he said, “India is proving that betting on India is the smartest business decision of this decade.”
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who attended the inauguration in Hyderabad, welcomed Safran’s investment. “I congratulate Safran for choosing Hyderabad for such a big investment. This new facility marks an important milestone for Telangana’s growth in aerospace and defence,” he said.
He said the MRO centre would employ more than 1,000 skilled technicians and engineers and create opportunities for local MSMEs. Reddy added that the foundation stone for the Safran M88 military engine MRO facility was also laid on Wednesday. “This MRO will support the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy,” he said.
The Telangana Chief Minister said that Hyderabad has emerged as a key hub for aerospace and defence manufacturing, with global companies such as Boeing, Airbus, Safran and Bharat Forge operating in the city. He said the state’s exports in the aerospace and defence sector reached ₹30,742 crore in FY2024, surpassing pharmaceutical exports for the first time.
The SAESI facility, spread across 45,000 sq. m within the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park, has been built with an investment of around ₹1,300 crore. It is designed to service up to 300 LEAP engines a year and is expected to employ more than 1,000 technicians and engineers by 2035. The LEAP engine powers Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
According to the government, the project supports India’s goal of building indigenous MRO capabilities, reducing foreign exchange outflow and strengthening supply-chain resilience. Recent policy steps – including GST rationalisation, the National Civil Aviation Policy 2016 and MRO Guidelines 2021 – have been aimed at simplifying operations for the sector.