Adani Defence and Aerospace plans to firm up an aircraft engine MRO facility for narrow-body commercial planes within the next 18 months, as India prepares for a sharp expansion in its commercial aviation fleet and maintenance requirements.
Ashish Rajvanshi, chief executive officer of Adani Defence and Aerospace, said the company would finalise plans for the Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility during that period. He was speaking at the Aviation India and South Asia 2026 conference in the national capital on Tuesday.
Rajvanshi said the proposed facility would focus on engines used by narrow-body commercial aircraft. Once the MRO is established, the company could also consider setting up a Final Assembly Line for the engines, he said. No location, investment amount, capacity, engine type or commissioning date for the proposed facility was disclosed in the announcement.
The plan comes as India’s commercial aviation market expands. The country’s commercial aircraft fleet is projected to triple to 2,250 aircraft over the next decade, according to the report cited by Moneycontrol. A larger fleet would increase the need for maintenance, repair and overhaul services covering engines, airframes and components.
India is also expected to become a hub for MRO activity. The sector supports airline operations by providing specialised facilities and technical services required to maintain aircraft and return them to service. For airlines, the availability of domestic MRO capacity can affect where aircraft are serviced and how long they remain unavailable for operations, although the announcement did not specify the operational benefits expected from Adani’s proposed facility.
The potential project would add to Adani Defence’s existing presence in the private-sector MRO business. Adani Defence Systems & Technologies Ltd acquired Air Works, described in the report as a leading private-sector MRO player, last year. The acquisition provides the group with an existing platform in aircraft maintenance, although the company has not stated whether the proposed narrow-body engine facility would be developed through Air Works or another entity.
The market opportunity extends beyond aircraft maintenance. Airbus said in a report in January that the Indian market for airframes, engines and components is expected to triple to USD 9.5 billion by 2035. That projection includes multiple parts of the aviation supply chain and is broader than engine MRO alone.
The proposed facility would therefore be part of a wider effort to build domestic aviation support infrastructure alongside fleet growth. However, the project remains at the planning stage. The next stated milestone is for Adani Defence and Aerospace to firm up its plans within 18 months, after which the company may also evaluate a Final Assembly Line for the engines.
