French major Safran on Wednesday said it is committed to setting up a final assembly line in India for Rafale engines and critical components if the Indian Air Force places more orders for the fighter jets.
Safran, which has been present in India for more than 70 years, provides engines and various critical components, including landing gear and electrical systems for Rafale fighter jets.
At a briefing after the inauguration of its MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) facility for LEAP engines in the city, Safran CEO Olivier Andries said the company will significantly increase spending in India.
"If there are additional Rafale fighter jet orders by the Indian Air Force, we would be committed to have a final assembly line of critical equipment (for Rafale jets) in India," he said, adding that if it happens, it would be the first time that such a facility would come up outside France.
Apart from the M88 engines that power the Rafale jets, he said the company also provides landing gear, electrical and oxygen systems, and ejectable seats, among other components for the jets.
"We have a lot of critical equipment on the Rafale (jets)," the Safran CEO said.
Recently, India ordered 26 Rafale M naval variants and already operates 36 Rafale and 47 Mirage 2000 fighters.
On Wednesday, a groundbreaking ceremony was also conducted for Safran's dedicated MRO facility for the M88 engine, powering the Dassault Aviation Rafale fighter jet in Hyderabad.
The 5,000-square-metre facility represents an investment of over 40 million euros, and will provide MRO services for more than 600 engine modules a year and employ up to 150 people at full capacity.
"Prioritising engines on aircraft operated by the Indian Air Force (IAF), it will also perform MRO for other M88 export customers. India is a long-standing customer for Safran's military engines," the company said in a release.
Meanwhile, the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India facility is the largest MRO facility for LEAP (leading-edge aviation propulsion) engines.
These engines, which power narrow-body Airbus 320s and Boeing 737s, are manufactured by CFM International -- an equal joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace.
At the briefing, Andries said the company aims to increase its sourcing five times to 500 million euros by 2030 from the current level of 100 million euros.
The company aims to triple its annual revenue from India to more than 3 billion euros by 2030.
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