The Centre is in the midst of preparing a roadmap that will streamline norms along with providing likely support for research and development (R&D) for promoting aircraft component manufacturing in India, sources said.
“India is in a position to seize a multi-billion dollar export opportunity to airframers as well as other OEMs (original equipment manufacturers). We have conducted consultation meetings with industry stakeholders to understand their difficulty in achieving scale as well as innovation breakthroughs,” sources said.
Besides, sources said that discussions are underway to ensure that the industry has a consistent supply of high-quality steel and aluminium.
Moreover, stakeholder consultations have revealed a need to create testing and licencing facilities in India, which are accredited to the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration, US) and EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency).
“Standardisation is a key issue. A bilateral agreement between the civil aviation regulators of India and the US and the European Union is required for certification of parts manufactured in India that can then be used on Boeing and Airbus aircraft,” sources said.
“Once set up, these facilities will provide an easier and quicker certification process at affordable prices, also leading to the design and testing of locally innovated parts and components.”
At present, the country exports micro-assemblies of components used by airframers, estimated at over $2 billion per annum. However, industry insiders see the potential of at least $20 billion in exports over a 10-year horizon, creating thousands of high-paying jobs in India.
“The global constraints in sourcing of components have made India a key market to set up manufacturing and other facilities for design and testing. Global players like PW, Collins, Honeywell and GE are investing in local manufacturing through their sourcing partners,” an industry insider said.
Furthermore, large-scale manufacturing of parts, sources pointed out, will invigorate the MRO sector, which will be able to service aircraft with components sourced at affordable prices, as lower tax rates will apply to them.
“A well-defined regulatory framework and enhanced R&D support will further strengthen India’s position as a global aerospace manufacturing hub,” Boeing India and South Asia President Salil Gupte said.
“We have built a robust ecosystem, collaborating with over 300 Indian suppliers, more than 25 per cent of them MSMEs, contributing over $1.25 billion in annual sourcing.”
According to industry expert Mark Martin of Martin Consulting, apart from aiding India-based manufacturers in getting ‘FAA PMA’ (parts manufacturer approval) or ‘EASA Part 21’ (airworthiness and environmental certification) approvals, the Centre needs to ensure that OEMs allocate such components with “a part number and a reference in the IPC (Illustrated Parts Catalogue).”
“This type of manufacturing spans not only components and parts that already have an established industrial focus but also the non-aeronautical verticals.”
As per Rossell Techsys, the company that provides mission-critical assemblies to leading OEMs like Boeing and Lockheed Martin, India’s aerospace sector stands at a “strategic inflection point.”
“The government’s push for regulatory reforms and R&D support is a clear signal that we’re ready to scale up from contract manufacturing to component manufacturing and to global solution providers,” said Prabhat Kumar Bhagavandas, Director and CEO of Rossell Techsys Inc.
“But this ambition hinges on faster certification pathways, access to specialised materials and robust testing infrastructure.”
