NEW DELHI: Aircraft engine giant, GE Aerospace, is making a significant investment in India, having witnessed a remarkable 20-fold increase in exports from the country between 2018 and 2022.
Currently, GE Aerospace has over 1,300 engines operating in India, powering Boeing and Airbus aircraft for airlines like Air India, IndiGo, and Vistara. With an additional 2,000 engines on order, to be delivered over the next nine years, the company is actively considering establishing a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility in India.
"India is not just a large market with tremendous growth potential; it also boasts the right talent, making it a vital part of our supply chain," said Vikram Rai, CEO (South Asia) of GE Aerospace. He highlighted the impressive 20-fold increase in exports from the company's 13 Indian suppliers, including Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL), between 2018 and 2022.
Under a multi-year contract signed in November 2022, TASL will manufacture commercial aircraft engine components worth $1 billion for GE's global engine manufacturing facilities.
As GE Aerospace's engine footprint in India expands, the prospect of an MRO facility becomes increasingly attractive. "We continue to evaluate an engine MRO here," Rai confirmed.
In addition to its current engine portfolio, the company is diligently working on the next-gen open fan architecture engines, which promise to be 20% more fuel-efficient.
A significant portion of the research for this CFM RISE program is taking place at the Bengaluru facility John F Welch Technology Centre (JFWTC). These engines are expected to be initially deployed on narrow-body planes by the middle of the next decade.
