PM Modi Inaugurates Safran’s Aircraft Engine Service Hub in Hyderabad
New Delhi/Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday virtually inaugurated the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility in Hyderabad, calling it a major leap in India’s aerospace future and its ambition to become a global aviation maintenance hub.
Modi emphasized that India is now one of the world’s fastest-growing aviation markets and said global investors are seen not merely as financiers but as “co-creators” in the mission of building a Viksit Bharat. He highlighted that bold policy reforms and the Production-Linked Incentive (PLI) framework have encouraged world-class aerospace companies — including France-based Safran — to expand into India.
PM Modi laughs as Chairman of French defence giant Safran cracks a joke
“Safran will support India’s Make in India strategy. I want to say that I am attached to this because I was born in India. So I’m Made in India too,” jokes Ross McInnes pic.twitter.com/RKwhohzofC
— Shashank Mattoo (@MattooShashank) November 26, 2025
The SAESI center is specifically equipped to service Safran’s LEAP (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) engines, which power commercial workhorses like the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. This marks the first time that a global aircraft engine OEM has established a full-scale MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) operation inside India.
Built at a cost exceeding ₹1,300 crore and spanning over 45,000 square meters in the GMR Aerospace & Industrial Park SEZ, the facility will eventually service up to 300 LEAP engines annually. By 2035, it is expected to employ over 1,000 highly-skilled Indian engineers and technicians — strengthening domestic aviation capability and reducing overseas maintenance dependence.
During the ceremony, the foundation stone was also laid for the M88 military-engine MRO facility, which will cater to engines used by the Indian Air Force and Indian Navy, enhancing operational readiness and supporting defence self-reliance.
PM Narendra Modi inaugurates French Major Safran’s global MRO facility in Hyderabad
Safran CEO Olivier Andries tells @madeehamedia
-We strongly believe India is going to become the MRO hub of the world
-India is the fastest growing market in civil aviation@CNBCTV18News… pic.twitter.com/BGCCv4jXPy— CNBC-TV18 (@CNBCTV18News) November 26, 2025
Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who attended the event, urged the Prime Minister to designate the Hyderabad–Bengaluru stretch as a formal Defence and Aerospace Corridor, underscoring the region’s expanding industrial and strategic ecosystem.
Safran — headquartered in Paris — is a world-leading manufacturer of aircraft engines, avionics, landing systems, and defence solutions. With the Hyderabad facility now operational, India has moved a step closer to becoming a central player in global aerospace servicing and innovation.
