New Delhi, Nov. 26, 2025: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility at the GMR Aerospace and Industrial Park – SEZ, Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Hyderabad, via video conferencing today. Addressing the occasion, 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 Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) Hub.” He highlighted that the MRO facility will also create new opportunities for youth in the high-tech aerospace sector.
Recalling his meeting with the Safran Board and Management on November 24, Prime Minister Modi expressed confidence that Safran’s investment in India would continue at the same pace and congratulated the team for the new facility.
The Prime Minister highlighted the rapid growth of India’s aviation sector, noting that the domestic market has now become the third largest globally. He said that rising aspirations have driven an increase in air travel demand, with airlines expanding their active fleets and placing orders for more than 1,500 new aircraft.
PM Modi underlined the need for domestic MRO facilities, noting that nearly 85 percent of India’s MRO work had been conducted abroad, resulting in higher costs and longer aircraft downtime. He emphasised that the government is developing India as a major MRO hub, with Safran establishing Deep Level Servicing facilities in the country for the first time.
Highlighting the role of Safran’s global training, knowledge transfer, and partnerships with Indian institutions, the Prime Minister said the facility will generate numerous employment opportunities for South India’s youth. He added that India is also working to develop an MRO ecosystem linked with shipping.
The Prime Minister encouraged the Safran team to explore aircraft engine and component design in India, leveraging the country’s MSME network and young talent pool. He remarked that India’s aerospace propulsion sector could benefit from Safran’s expertise in design and manufacturing.
The Prime Minister underscored India’s bold vision and emphasis on ease of doing business, stating, “We are dreaming big, doing bigger and delivering best.” He highlighted key reforms to attract global investment, including opening sectors for 100 percent FDI through automatic routes, increasing FDI in defence to 74 percent, and implementing Production Linked Incentive schemes.
He noted that over the past 11 years, more than 40,000 company compliances have been reduced, hundreds of business provisions decriminalised, and the National Single Window System introduced. He added that GST reforms, faceless tax assessments, new labour codes, and the Insolvency and Bankruptcy Code have simplified governance, making India a trusted partner, a major market, and a rising manufacturing hub.
(Source: Prime Minister’s Office via PIB)
