New Safran-HAL Agreement Advances Make in India with Inconel Component Manufacturing for LEAP Engines

New Safran-HAL Agreement Advances Make in India with Inconel Component Manufacturing for LEAP Engines

(IN BRIEF) Safran Aircraft Engines and HAL have expanded their partnership with a new agreement at the Paris Air Show to produce rotating Inconel components for LEAP engines in India. Building on previous MoUs and contracts, this deal commits HAL to forge critical parts locally, supported by Safran’s technical expertise and network of five production sites in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Goa, with an MRO facility set to open soon. The collaboration aligns with India’s “Make in India” policy and addresses the country’s booming demand for LEAP-powered single-aisle aircraft—over 370 of which already serve Indian carriers, with more than 2,000 engines on order. Leaders from both companies emphasized that this step will reinforce India’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities and prepare for future military engine programs such as the M88.

(PRESS RELEASE) LE BOURGET, 20-Jun-2025 — /EuropaWire/ — Safran Aircraft Engines and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) have taken a major step forward in their collaboration by signing an agreement at the 55th Paris Air Show to industrialize and manufacture rotating Inconel components for the LEAP engine series in India. This new deal builds on their October 2023 memorandum of understanding and the forged parts production contract inked in February 2025, further deepening Safran’s commitment to the “Make in India” initiative and HAL’s role as a strategic manufacturing partner.

Under the terms of the agreement, HAL will expand its forging expertise to include critical Inconel parts—key elements of the high-performance LEAP engine that powers the world’s most popular single-aisle jets. Safran Aircraft Engines will support HAL with technical know-how and process optimization, leveraging its existing network of five Indian facilities in Hyderabad, Bengaluru, and Goa. A sixth site, dedicated to the maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) of LEAP engines, is slated to begin operations in Hyderabad later this year.

Dr. D K Sunil, HAL’s Chairman and Managing Director, remarked, “This partnership allows us to advance our forging capabilities and contribute more substantially to the LEAP program. Together with Safran, we are building a robust manufacturing base that will serve both domestic and global aviation markets.”

Dominique Dupuy, Vice President of Purchasing at Safran Aircraft Engines, commented, “Partnering closely with HAL not only diversifies our production footprint but also reinforces our ability to meet India’s accelerating demand for air travel. This collaboration paves the way for future joint projects, including those involving the M88 engine used in the Rafale fighter.”

Safran and HAL first joined forces in 2022 with the creation of the Safran HAL Aircraft Engines joint venture in Bengaluru, focusing on components for both the LEAP and M88 engines. Today, India ranks as CFM International’s third-largest market by active engine fleet, with 75% of Indian airlines’ 500 aircraft flying on CFM engines—more than 370 of which are LEAP-powered. Over 2,000 additional LEAP engines remain on order, underscoring the critical need for a localized supply chain.

This latest agreement not only accelerates local production of high-value aerospace parts but also strengthens India’s position in the global aviation supply chain and sets the stage for future military engine collaborations.

Safran is an international high-technology group operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defense and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. Safran has a global presence, with 100,000 employees and sales of 27.3 billion euros in 2024, and holds, alone or in partnership, world or regional leadership positions in its core markets.

Safran Aircraft Engines designs, produces and sells, alone or in partnership, commercial and military aircraft engines offering world-class performance, reliability and environmental compliance. Through CFM International*, Safran Aircraft Engines is the world’s leading supplier of engines for single-aisle mainline commercial jets.

* CFM International is a 50/50 joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace.

Learn more: www.safran-group.com and www.safran-aircraft-engines.com

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) is a premier aerospace company under the Ministry of Defence, Government of India, with its Corporate Office at Bengaluru. The company has 21 production divisions, and 9 Research & Design Centres spread across the country. HAL had its origin in 1940 as a private limited company founded by a far-sighted industrialist Seth Walchand Hirachand to manufacture aircraft. Over the past 85 years, HAL has spread its wings to cover
various activities in the areas of Design, Development, Manufacture and Overhaul of advanced fighters, trainers, helicopters, transport aircraft & associated aero engines, accessories, avionics and airborne systems. It has also diversified into manufacture of structures for space vehicles like Polar/Geostationary Satellite Launch Vehicles, Indian Remote Sensing and other Satellites, Industrial & Marine Gas Turbines as well as Commercial services at the HAL Airports at Bangalore and Nasik.

Learn more: https://www.hal-india.co.in/home

Media Contact:

Charles Soret
Safran Aircraft Engines
Tel: +33 6 31 60 96 79
email: charles.soret@safrangroup.com

SOURCE: Safran