GMR Aero Technic has partnered with France’s UUDS Aero to establish an aircraft cabin excellence centre at its Hyderabad facility, expanding the city’s role in aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul services and adding cabin design, certification, retrofit and manufacturing capabilities to its aviation ecosystem.
The two companies signed a memorandum of understanding to develop advanced aircraft cabin interior capabilities in India. The proposed centre will support design, modification, certification, repair, retrofit, refurbishment, manufacturing and installation of aircraft cabin interiors, according to the companies.
The partnership is intended to provide airlines and aircraft operators with integrated cabin interior solutions for the Indian and international markets. It combines GMR Aero Technic’s MRO infrastructure and operational capabilities with UUDS Aero’s expertise in cabin interior design, engineering, certification and production.
GMR Aero Technic said the collaboration would strengthen its portfolio of specialised aviation services. The company is part of the broader aviation maintenance and repair ecosystem developing around Hyderabad, where facilities serving aircraft operators can support technical work beyond routine maintenance.
“Our collaboration with UUDS Aero is an important milestone in strengthening our aircraft cabin interior capabilities,” Ashok Gopinath, president and accountable manager at GMR Aero Technic, said. “By combining UUDS Aero’s design and certification expertise with GMR Aero Technic’s proven MRO capabilities, we aim to deliver high-quality, integrated cabin solutions to customers across India and international markets.”
The proposed centre’s scope covers the full cabin-interiors chain, from design and engineering to certification, production, installation and later refurbishment. This places the initiative within the higher-value segment of aircraft MRO, where cabin upgrades and modifications require both technical production capacity and regulatory approval.
UUDS Aero holds EASA Part 21J Design Organization Approval and Part 21G Production Organization Approval. These approvals relate to the company’s capabilities in aircraft design and production organisation, which will form part of the technical expertise brought into the partnership.
Ashane Gunaratne, group chief technology officer and managing director – Middle East for UUDS Aero, said the partnership reflected the French company’s long-term commitment to the Indian aviation market. He said the two organisations would bring together capabilities in cabin design, engineering, certification, manufacturing and MRO.
The agreement comes as India’s MRO ecosystem expands its focus from aircraft maintenance to specialised services that can be delivered for airlines and operators within the country. For Hyderabad, the centre would add another aviation-related activity to the city’s industrial and airport-linked economic base, although the companies have not disclosed an investment amount, construction timeline, employment target or expected capacity for the facility.
The companies said the collaboration would focus on developing end-to-end cabin solutions, advancing technical capabilities and creating value for customers and both organisations. Further details on the centre’s implementation schedule and commercial operations were not provided in the announcement.
