Modi says India takes ‘new flight’ as he opens Safran MRO hub, pushes Design in India in aviation
HYDERABAD: Asserting that India’s aviation sector is set to take a new leap, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said the country is now promoting ‘Design in India’ across sectors on an unprecedented scale.
The prime minister was speaking after virtually inaugurating Safran Aircraft Engine Services India’s LEAP engine MRO facility at GMR Aerospace in Hyderabad.
Urging the Safran team to look beyond manufacturing and explore opportunities in aircraft engine and component design from India, he said the country’s vast MSME ecosystem and its young, skilled workforce would act as strong pillars of support for such ambitions. He said: “From today, India’s aviation sector is taking a new flight.”
The PM said that Safran’s latest investment will help position India as a global Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) hub. He recalled his meeting with the Safran Board and Management on November 24, noting that he had always sensed their confidence and optimism regarding India. He expressed hope that Safran’s investments would continue with the same momentum in the years ahead.
Pointing out that India’s aviation sector has grown at a rapid pace in recent years, he said the country now ranks among the fastest-growing domestic aviation markets in the world. “Today, India’s domestic aviation market is the third largest globally,” he noted.
Modi said the aspirations of Indians are soaring to new heights, driving unprecedented demand for air travel. To keep pace, airlines across the country are rapidly expanding their fleets. “Indian airline companies have placed orders for more than 1,500 new aircraft,” he said.
Modi highlighted a long-standing challenge: nearly 85 percent of India’s MRO work used to be carried out overseas, leading to high costs, longer turnaround times, and aircraft being grounded for months. “This situation is untenable for a large aviation market like India,” he said.
“We are building the Bharat Future City, spread across 30,000 acres — a green, net-zero city that will be India’s answer to New York, Tokyo, Dubai or Singapore,” the CM said. “I request the prime minister and global investors to participate in the summit and witness Telangana’s vision for the future,” he added.
Underscoring Telangana’s leadership in industry and MSME policy, he said Hyderabad has cemented its position as a major aerospace and defence hub, hosting over 25 global companies and more than 1,500 MSMEs.
“Our world-class infrastructure, specialised aerospace parks and SEZs have attracted mega investments from leading companies. Hyderabad is now the top choice for highly complex precision engineering,” he said, citing investments by Safran, Boeing, Airbus, Tata, and Bharat Forge.
He said that aerospace and defence exports doubled last year, reaching Rs 30,742 crore in just nine months, surpassing even Telang ana’s famed pharmaceutical exports for the first time. “Telangana consistently wins the Best State Award for Aerospace from the Ministry of Civil Aviation,” he said, adding that Financial Times rankings have placed Hyderabad No 1 globally in cost-effectiveness among ‘Aerospace Cities of the Future’.
Calling the newly inaugurated facility a milestone for Telangana’s growth story, the chief minister invited Safran to become a lead partner in the state’s aerospace skilling ecosystem.
“Telangana will continue to provide globalstandard infrastructure and support companies like Safran to scale new heights,” he said. The upcoming M88 military engine MRO facility, he added, will provide critical support to the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, cementing Hyderabad’s position as one of India’s premier MRO and aeroengine hubs.
Stressing the need for skilled manpower, the chief minister said 100 Industrial Training Institutes have been upgraded to Advanced Technology Centres in partnership with Tata Technologies, offering job-ready training in advanced manufacturing. The state’s Young India Skills University is also rolling out specialised training programmes in aircraft maintenance, he added. Safran’s largest facility The LEAP engine civilian MRO is Safran’s first such facility in India and the largest in the company’s global network.
The engines power the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX, widely used by Indian airlines for their fuel efficiency and reliability. The facility represents an investment of Rs 1,300 crore, spans 44,000 square metres, and is expected to create over 1,000 skilled jobs. Meanwhile, the Military MRO for Rafale engines — the first outside France — will support the expanding Indian Rafale fleet. The MRO facility involves an investment of Rs 450 crore, will cover 5,000 square metres, and is expected to employ 150 skilled technicians and 600 indirect staff. Operations are set to begin in early 2026.
These projects, Revanth said, set new benchmarks for ‘Make in India’ in the aerospace and defence sectors and signal Telangana’s growing role as a global manufacturing Govt has already extended invitations powerhouse.
India taking bold decisions: PM
The government is working to build India into one of the world’s major MRO hubs. For the first time, Modi added, a global OEM has set up deep level servicing facilities within the country.
He said India today is not merely dreaming big but also “taking bold decisions and delivering even bigger results.” He stressed the government’s focus on Ease of Doing Business, noting that some of the most significant reforms in post-Independence history have been undertaken to attract global investment. “The doors of the economy were opened wider; the fundamentals were strengthened; and ease of doing business was enhanced,” he said.
He pointed out that most sectors now allow 100 percent FDI through automatic routes, and even highly restricted sectors like defence have been liberalised, with 74 percent FDI permitted automatically. Similar reformist thinking, he noted, has been applied to the space sector as well. “These steps send a clear message to the world that India welcomes investment and innovation,” the prime minister said. He added that Production Linked Incentive schemes have drawn global manufacturers into the Make in India fold.
Elaborating on the government’s reform push, Modi said that in the last 11 years, more than 40,000 compliances have been reduced and hundreds of business-related provisions have been decriminalised. The National Single Window System, GST reforms, faceless tax assessments, new labour codes, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code have collectively made governance simpler, smoother and more transparent. “These efforts have helped India emerge as a trusted partner, a major market and a rising global manufacturing hub,” he said.