As the race to power India’s ambitious 5th-generation fighter jet project intensifies, French aerospace giant Safran is positioning itself as a key player, leveraging its long-standing defense ties with India. With the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) program aiming to take flight in the mid-2030s, Safran has been ramping up its operations in India, keen to seize the opportunity amidst increasing competition from global defense firms, particularly from the United States and the United Kingdom.
India’s collaboration with the U.S. to develop fighter jet engines for its Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) MK1A and MK2 has hit a snag, with the U.S. firm reluctant to fully share the sensitive technology needed for complete indigenous production. This reluctance opens a door for Safran, which is stepping in to offer a more comprehensive partnership, hoping to not only bolster its defense ties with India but also further its influence in the country’s aerospace industry.
France’s Safran Group has been active in India for decades, already playing a pivotal role in supplying turbine engines for Indian helicopters and contributing to critical defense programs. Currently employing 3,000 people in India, Safran’s operations are poised for further expansion. The company is planning to open a state-of-the-art maintenance facility in Hyderabad by 2025, strategically located in southern India’s aerospace hub in Telangana.
In addition, Safran Data Systems, a subsidiary of Safran, recently opened a new office in Chennai. This facility is designed to be a hub for research, design, and development, addressing the surging demand in the aerospace and defense sectors. According to Safran, the strategic expansion will tap into Chennai’s deep pool of engineering talent, fostering innovation and boosting collaboration with Indian defense organizations.
Safran’s contributions to Indian defense extend beyond engines, having supported prestigious programs like the Indian Space Research Organisation’s (ISRO) Chandrayaan lunar mission, the Solar mission Aditya L1, and various LCA variants. As India makes strides in space exploration, the development of cutting-edge aero-engine technology remains elusive—a challenge Safran is ready to tackle.
India’s quest to build its own advanced aero-engines has long been fraught with challenges. Despite sending missions to the Moon and space exploration milestones, the country has struggled for decades to develop a robust fighter jet engine. Unlike nuclear technology, which India has mastered, creating a reliable and powerful jet engine requires immense expertise, time, and resources. Experts note that fewer countries have successfully developed their own military jet engines than those with nuclear weapons, underlining the immense complexity of this technological feat.
After years of trying to develop its own engine domestically—most notably with the troubled Kaveri engine project—India has opted for a pragmatic solution: international collaboration. Foreign partners like Safran are offering technological know-how and expertise to help India develop engines that will power the AMCA and other future fighter jets.
The AMCA, India’s future stealth fighter jet, is designed to be a 5th-generation aircraft with advanced stealth capabilities, superior avionics, and an integrated engine system to reduce radar signature. This high-stakes project has attracted the attention of three of the world’s largest aero-engine manufacturers: Safran (France), General Electric (U.S.), and Rolls Royce (U.K.).
The potential scale of the order makes the deal highly lucrative. With AMCA set to be India’s flagship defense aircraft in the coming decades, the country will need hundreds of these jets, translating to a significant long-term business opportunity for the company that wins the contract. Safran, already a close partner to India, is keen to emphasize its reliability and the mutual trust it has built over the years. The company is India’s second-largest defense supplier after Russia, and it reminds Indian officials of its steadfast support, particularly during challenging geopolitical periods.
Ross McInnes, Chairman of Safran, highlighted this during India’s Defence Conclave in October 2023, noting that France has stood by India even in tough times. “We have stood by your side through thick and thin,” McInnes remarked, alluding to France’s support after the U.S. imposed sanctions on India following its 1998 nuclear tests. Unlike other Western nations, France refrained from isolating India, making a strong case for its defense companies as reliable partners today.
Safran has gone a step further, offering India ownership of the engine technology developed under any potential collaboration. This move, designed to give India “strategic independence” in designing, developing, and producing military jet engines, distinguishes Safran from its U.S. counterparts, who have been more reluctant to transfer full control of critical technologies.
India’s relationship with the United States in the defense sector has seen significant growth in recent years, particularly with the development of jet engines for the LCA MK1A and MK2. In August 2021, India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) signed a $716 million deal with General Electric (GE) to manufacture 99 F404 aircraft engines for the LCA-Mk-1A. However, delays in engine deliveries have caused disruptions in India’s defense timeline, with HAL unable to meet its deadlines for delivering jets to the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Originally scheduled for delivery in early 2024, the LCA MK1A has been delayed, and HAL has had to explore alternative solutions, including retrofitting used engines onto the first batch of jets. The U.S.’s hesitation in sharing full technology for these engines, along with logistical setbacks, has given Safran an opportunity to present itself as a more flexible and responsive partner for India’s future engine needs.
During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Washington in 2023, India and the U.S. inked a significant deal to co-produce GE-414 engines for the LCA MK II. While this was a notable achievement, the U.S. decision to withhold some intellectual property—reportedly due to India’s close ties with Russia—has further complicated the bilateral defense partnership.
India’s troubled history with the Kaveri engine program provides context for its current reliance on foreign expertise. Initiated in the 1980s to develop a homegrown engine for India’s fighter jets, the Kaveri project was plagued by technical difficulties and delays, ultimately failing to meet the required thrust-to-weight ratio and struggling with high-altitude performance.
In a candid statement, DRDO Chairman Dr. Samir V. Kamat acknowledged the missteps, calling the parallel development of the engine and the aircraft a “rookie mistake” that severely delayed the Tejas fighter jet program. Developing an engine, he explained, is a highly complex process that typically takes 15 to 20 years—a timeline India underestimated.
The Kaveri engine was close to being scrapped when France’s Safran offered a lifeline in 2014. As part of the Rafale fighter jet offsets deal, Safran proposed to invest 1 billion Euros to help revive the Kaveri engine under a joint venture. The project was re-energized with a plan to upgrade the Kaveri using technology from France’s M-88 engine, which powers the Rafale jets.
By 2022, this collaboration had started to bear fruit, with plans to make the Kaveri airworthy and integrate it into the Tejas prototype aircraft within this decade. Safran’s involvement not only revived India’s hopes of building an indigenous engine but also cemented its reputation as a reliable partner in the country’s aerospace ambitions.
As India pushes forward with its AMCA program, the country’s aerospace landscape is evolving rapidly. The competition to power India’s next-generation fighter jets is fierce, and Safran, with its deep roots in India’s defense industry, is positioning itself as a leader in this race. The promise of transferring engine technology to India and ensuring strategic autonomy aligns with the country’s vision of becoming self-reliant in defense production.
While U.S. and U.K. companies also present formidable offers, Safran’s long-standing presence and flexibility in sharing crucial technologies may ultimately sway India’s decision. As India prepares to issue its request for information, the world’s top aerospace firms are vying for what could be a defining contract, shaping the future of Indian air power for decades to come.
The outcome of this battle will not only impact India’s defense capabilities but also its strategic partnerships on the global stage, as the nation seeks to balance relations with key allies like the U.S., Russia, and France while securing cutting-edge technologies to propel its military into the future.
