Snecma, a leading manufacturer of aircraft engines, and the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), a leading aerospace manufacturer, signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on January 28, 2015, in Bengaluru to explore establishing a joint venture in India for the production of aeroengine parts.

The MoU was signed by Bruno Durand, Vice President for Industrial Operations & Supply Chain of Snecma, and Arunachalam Muthukumaraswami, General Manager of the Engine Division of HAL.

The proposed joint venture will initially focus on the manufacture of high-tech parts for the Dassault Rafale’s Snecma M88 engine, then subsequently contribute to other major aerospace projects of HAL & Snecma, in India and worldwide. Spanning over 30,000 square metres, the proposed joint venture’s new plant is expected to benefit from substantial investment by the two partners, providing it with state-of-theart machinery and equipment.

This agreement marks a major step forward in the long-standing collaboration between Snecma and HAL. The proposed joint venture will further broaden the scope of the excellent relations established over the past 60 years between Safran affiliates and the Indian aerospace industry. For example, Snecma manufactures the M53 engines powering the Mirage 2000H ‘Vajra’ fighters operated by the Indian Air Force.

“This new partnership clearly reflects the close relationship established over many years between Snecma, our parent Safran and the Indian aerospace industry,” said Pierre Fabre, Chairman and CEO of Snecma. “We are strongly committed to contributing to the ’Make in India’ policy, based on ambitious partnerships and extensive direct investments. This new venture is further proof that we are actively strengthening our existing ties with HAL.”

Safran has been operating in India for over 60 years. The group employs more than 2,600 highly skilled employees in the country with an average annual workforce growth of 30 per cent in the last decade. Safran operates in India across its three core businesses: delivering effective expertise to the country’s growing aerospace industry, along with leading edge navigation and optronics equipment for the defence sector, and biometrics solution for the security market.

Over the decades of association, Safran’s activities have evolved to include strong local partnerships with Indian military aviation industry based on joint developments, production and support licences for airplane, helicopter and rocket engines, landing gear, navigation systems, as well as the associated support services.