Jet, Set, Go: India’s HAL, France’s Safran deepen strategic partnership with manufacturing MoU

Paris/Bengaluru: In a significant stride toward bolstering India’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and France-based Safran Aircraft Engines signed a key industrial agreement at the 55th Paris Air Show to co-produce forged rotating parts for the LEAP engine programme.

The collaboration underscores the rising importance of India in the global aerospace supply chain and reinforces the government’s flagship “Make in India” initiative.

The agreement was formalized by Abdul Salam, General Manager of HAL’s LCA Division, and Dominique Dupuy, Vice President – Purchasing, Safran Aircraft Engines, in the presence of senior officials from both sides.

This new partnership builds on a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in October 2023, and a subsequent contract in February 2025 to manufacture superalloy forged components.

The focus of the current agreement is to produce high-performance Inconel parts — a critical material for jet engine components — at HAL’s state-of-the-art Ring Rolling facility in Bengaluru.

“We are really proud to expand this long-standing partnership with Safran and to develop our industrial expertise in forging processes for Inconel parts for the LEAP programme,” said Dr. D K Sunil, Chairman and Managing Director of HAL.

The LEAP engine, developed by CFM International (a 50-50 joint venture between Safran Aircraft Engines and GE Aerospace), powers new-generation single-aisle aircraft such as the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737 MAX. With air travel demand surging globally — especially in India — this collaboration aims to meet growing airline needs by accelerating the production ramp-up of LEAP engines.

The partnership also marks a technological milestone for HAL, with the development of near-net Ring Forging technology — a process crucial for aerospace-grade components that demand precision, strength, and heat resistance.

HAL and Safran will now collaborate further to develop additional technologies for other balance parts, ensuring a holistic approach to indigenization and advanced manufacturing.

“We are pleased to extend our collaboration with HAL, a key player of the Indian aerospace industry,” said Dominique Dupuy.

“This industrial cooperation is part of our roadmap to diversify our production sourcing and strengthen our industrial footprint in India, so as to support the growth of domestic air traffic with our LEAP engine and prepare for future requirements of military parts,” he added.

The agreement highlights a broader ambition: the creation of a comprehensive aerospace ecosystem in India, not only to serve domestic demands but to contribute significantly to global aviation programmes.

Safran, which already operates multiple facilities in India, continues to see India as a strategic industrial and innovation partner.

As India’s aviation sector ascends to new heights, strategic collaborations like this between HAL and Safran will play a critical role in positioning the country as a global aerospace hub, delivering high-precision, high-performance components to meet both commercial and defence requirements.