GE Aerospace plans to nearly double its annual spending on Indian suppliers to around $400 million by 2030, up from approximately $200 million in 2025, as the company prepares for rising demand in India’s aviation sector. The move is expected to expand opportunities for domestic manufacturers and strengthen India’s role in the global aerospace supply chain.
The announcement was made in New Delhi on October 12, 2026, alongside the release of an Ernst & Young (EY) report examining GE Aerospace’s economic contribution to India’s commercial aviation, defence, manufacturing and engineering sectors over four decades.
Pune Manufacturing Operations to Support Expansion
GE Aerospace’s Indian supply network includes its manufacturing facility in Pune and 17 major domestic suppliers, including small and medium-sized enterprises. The company said it had invested nearly $55 million in the Pune facility since 2024 to improve automation, precision manufacturing and workforce development.
The planned increase in procurement comes as Indian airlines expand their fleets. Commercial engines manufactured by GE Aerospace and its partner CFM International powered more than 1,400 aircraft engines in service across India’s commercial aviation sector as of December 2025.
Government estimates cited in the report project domestic passenger traffic will rise from 340 million in the 2025-26 financial year to 1.1 billion by 2040. The country’s airport network is also expected to grow from 163 airports to more than 350 by 2047.
Aviation and Maintenance Demand Set to Grow
India and South Asia are projected to require an additional 3,300 aircraft, equivalent to 6,600 engines, by 2044. GE Aerospace and its partner engines are expected to power most of the approximately 1,500 new aircraft already on order with Indian carriers.
The report estimates that this fleet expansion could create a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) opportunity worth more than $5.5 billion for India.
GE Aerospace’s activities in India also extend to defence manufacturing. Its partnership with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, established in 1986, covers LM2500 naval engines and F404-IN20 engines used in the Tejas Mk1 light combat aircraft. A separate 2023 memorandum outlines the potential domestic manufacture of F414 engines for the Tejas Mk2 programme, subject to final agreements and approvals.
Engineering and Skills Development
The company’s Bengaluru Technology Centre, established in 2000, supports engineering research and development. It has secured more than 1,000 aviation patents and contributed to the development of the GE9X engine.
In Pune, approximately 5,000 production associates have completed the company’s apprenticeship programme since 2015, with 400 to 500 new apprentices joining each year.
The proposed supplier-spending increase builds on these manufacturing, engineering and workforce investments as India’s aviation industry prepares for sustained growth.
source:GE Aerospace announces plans to nearly double supplier spend in-country to help meet India’s aviation industry growth | GE Aerospace News
