The Minister of Defense welcomes Safran in joint development and production projects (photo: DRDO working on the Kaveri engine)
By Vikas Gupta
Defence News of India, 6 July 22
A delegation from the French aeronautical equipment group Safran, led by its CEO Mr. Olivier Andries, received Defense Minister Rajnath Singh in Delhi on Tuesday.
“During the meeting, Andries briefed Rajnath Singh on Safran’s plans to set up a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility in India for the overhaul of LEAP-1A and LEAP-1B engines used by Indian and foreign commercial airlines,” a Ministry of Defense (MoD) press release said on Tuesday.
Safran is a leading OEM of advanced aircraft engines for civil and fighter aircraft. Among its most successful products is the M88 jet engine that powers the Rafale fighter.
Safran is one of the options being considered by the Department of Defense to partner with the Defense R&D organization in the development of the indigenous Kaveri engine that would power locally built aircraft, such as the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA ).
“The MRO facility, through a US$150 million foreign direct investment in Hyderabad, is expected to create 500-600 highly skilled jobs. The facility will be able to overhaul more than 250 engines per year initially,” the Department of Defense said.
Safran’s CEO also informed Rajnath Singh of the planned inauguration of two subsidiaries – Safran Aircraft Engines and Safran Electrical & Power India Pvt Ltd – which will both be located in Hyderabad. Safran Electrical & Power India Pvt Ltd will produce harnesses for civil and fighter aircraft.
In addition, Safran plans to create a joint venture (JV) with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in Bangalore called Safran-HAL Aircraft Engines.
The joint venture between Safran and HAL will produce rigid pipes for aircraft engines, including helicopter engines. The joint venture should hire 160 new highly qualified employees.
Safran Aircraft Engines, which will be installed on 10 acres of land in a special economic zone (SEZ) of Hyderabad with an investment of 36 million euros, will produce parts and components for advanced aircraft engines, including rotating joints.
Safran’s CEO outlined his company’s long-term plans for co-development and co-production of advanced jet engines and technology transfer in line with existing Indian government policy. He also briefed Rajnath Singh on Safran’s capabilities in technology areas beyond aircraft engines.
The Minister of Defense welcomed new facilities in Hyderabad and the joint venture in Bengaluru. He stressed the importance that India attaches to the strategic partnership with France.
Singh invited Safran for more co-development and co-production projects in India, in line with the “Make in India, Make for the World” and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” plans.
“We are a big market. However, we are increasingly focusing on manufacturing in India to meet needs competitively and supply to friendly foreign countries. You can take advantage of all the competitive advantages offered by India, including cost advantages and availability of skilled labor,” said Rajnath Singh.
The Raksha Mantri affirmed that both countries can contribute to the capacity building of the other.
Safran Aircraft Engines (formerly Snecma) is a French aircraft engine manufacturer based in Crowns, France. It designs, manufactures and maintains engines for trade and military plane as good as rocket engines for launch vehicles and satellites.
Among Snecma’s most notable developments are the M88 for the Gust, Olympus 593 motor for the Concorde, CFM56/CFM LEAP for single-aisle airliners, and Vulcan engines for the Ariadne 5 rocket.
