India is moving forward to become the world’s thirdlargest civil aviation market by 2024. Currently, major airlines connect 103 operational airports within the country and many more across the globe. Despite the RCS-Udan scheme, India’s aviation industry is largely untapped with huge growth opportunities. The Indian government is planning to invest $1.83 billion for the development of airport infrastructure along with aviation navigation services by 2026. India’s total passenger traffic stood at 199.60 million in the period April to October 2019, with 1.5 million aircraft movements. The Mumbai-Delhi air corridor is ranked the world’s third-busiest route. Total freight traffic for the same period was two million tonne. There are 604 aircraft operated by scheduled airline operators in India. Airlines in India spend about 13 to 15 per cent of their revenues towards maintenance - the second-highest cost item for airlines after fuel. Generally airlines carry on-tarmac inspections (A and B checks) in-house and work with thirdparty Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) for engine, heavy maintenance (C and D checks) and modifications.

VISION 2040

On January 15, 2019, the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MOCA) released a report titled ‘Vision 2040’, outlining a roadmap for the future of civil aviation in India. The report projects that air passenger traffic will increase six-fold to 1.1 billion passengers by 2040 and by then 2,359 passenger aircraft would be required. Air cargo movement will quadruple to 17 million tonne by 2040. The number of airports in India would rise to around 200. The government proposed creating a $2-billion fund to help support low-traffic airports. India targets to establish an aircraft manufacturing base by 2040.

FOREIGN DIRECT INVESTMENT IN AVIATION

According to the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP), Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) inflows in India’s air transport sector including air freight, reached $1,904.37 million between April 2000 and June 2019. The government allows 100 per cent FDI in the air transport sector. However, FDI over 49 per cent would require government approval. For Non-Resident Indians (NRIs), 100 per cent FDI will continue to be allowed under automatic route. This has now been allowed in ‘Brownfield Airport’ projects as well. India’s aviation industry is expected to witness 35,000 crore ($4.99 billion) investment in the next four years.

GLOBAL MRO MARKET

Currently, North America is the largest MRO market, accounting for around 40 per cent of the world market. Asia-Pacific, China and India combined represent 22 per cent of the market. However, India handles only one per cent of the global MRO business. Total MRO expenditure is expected to rise to $116 billion by 2029, up from $81.9 billion in 2019, as per the Global Fleet and MRO Market Forecast 2019-2029 by Oliver Wyman’s Aviation Competitive & Market Intelligence team. China, with its 300 MRO companies, generated over $3.0 billion of its nearly $7-billion MRO requirement in 2019. China offers tax breaks, better infrastructure, cheaper labour and a bigger market. China’s fleet of commercial aircraft stands at 3,376 which is over five times India’s fleet of 604. These numbers will grow to 7,209 and 1,547 respectively by 2029. The Indian MRO market will grow from the current $2 billion to $4 billion. Singapore has had a viable MRO industry and spare parts base for many global civil aircraft players. Thailand is also emerging as an MRO base. The Indian industry has good models to emulate in the Asian neighbourhood. The revenue from aircraft heavy maintenance and modifications has the second highest share. In India, very few companies provide heavy maintenance service. One day, India’s defence MRO business should also flow to Indian private players.

The Indian MRO market is currently estimated to be around $800 million and is growing at about eight per cent annually

BUSINESS AVIATION

Private non-scheduled operators are required by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to set up a CAR 145-approved maintenance shop or work with a DGCAapproved third-party MRO. Most private operators prefer the outsourced model for line maintenance (on-tarmac checks) and use OEM/DGCA-approved facilities for engine, heavy maintenance and modifications on their aircraft. The Indian business aviation market is complex from a maintenance perspective as it has over 60 different aircraft types operating in a total market of about 350 aircraft (business jets, turboprops and helicopters). Each individual type requires trained technical manpower, tooling and approvals from regulator as well as the OEM to enable an MRO to offer world-class maintenance services.

INDIAN MRO MARKET CURRENT STATUS

The Indian MRO market is currently estimated to be around $800 million and is growing at about eight per cent annually against a four per cent world average. A recent Ernst & Young study reveals that Indian MRO market growth rate will go up to 15 per cent. With India’s growing aircraft fleet, it is cost-effective for domestic airlines to have their aircraft serviced within the country. The increasing age of Indian aircraft, both civil and defence, requires frequent maintenance.

MRO abroad involves ferry flight, logistics costs and engine and component hours. Having the flexibility to get the aircraft serviced in India at a local MRO, results in 30 to 40 per cent savings in aircraft maintenance costs for an airline, despite the tax regime on import of spares into the country making them 30 per cent more expensive as compared to international MROs. The other key impediment to growth of airline MRO in India is the lack of availability of hangar space at key international airports. This limits the ability of MROs to tap into the larger potential market of aircraft operating within five to six hours of flying distance from India.

The key MRO segments are defence, commercial aviation and business aviation. Major tasks are of engine overhaul, airframe heavy maintenance and modifications, line/field maintenance, and component overhaul. The Indian MRO industry must meet global standards. Setting up an MRO is highly capitalintensive with a long break-even time. There is a need for the right manpower. Also, it requires continuous investment in tooling, certification from Indian and international regulators, and clearance from OEMs. The Indian MRO Market has just begun to grow.

KEY GOVERNMENT AVIATION MRO-RELATED INITIATIVES

Recognising the potential of the MRO business and in line with the ‘Make in India’ policy, the Government of India has introduced certain policy initiatives recently. These include exemption from customs duty for the tools and tool-kits used by the industry; extension of the one-year timeline for utilisation of duty-free parts to three years so as to enable economies of scale and permission for foreign aircraft brought to India for MRO work to stay for the entire period of maintenance or up to six months. Earlier, foreign aircraft could not come into India for more than 15 days without a cumbersome approval process. Further, aircraft are now allowed to come in with passengers, which were not permitted earlier, leading to losses for the airlines. GST on MRO services reduced from 18 per cent to five per cent is considered great news for MRO in the Defence and Aerospace sector.

As per the Union Budget 2020-2021, the government will promote domestic manufacturing of aircraft and aircraft financing and leasing activities to make India’s aviation market selfreliant. In January 2019, the government organised the Global Aviation Summit in Mumbai which witnessed participation by over 1,200 delegates from 83 countries. At the same time, it also released the National Air Cargo Policy Outline 2019 which envisages making Indian air cargo and logistics the most efficient, seamless and cost and time effective in the next decade. Up to 100 per cent Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has been permitted for MRO industry. Indian aircraft MRO service providers are exempted completely from customs and countervailing duties.

India’s taxation policies are perceived to be less favourable for the MRO industry

PRIVATE SECTOR AEROSPACE MRO PLAYERS

Boeing, Airbus and Air India have an MRO facility at Nagpur. MRO services for GE aviation engines are at Mumbai. HAL and Pratt & Whitney Canada have an engine overhaul facility at Bengaluru. France-based Safran Group announced in December 2019, that it is planning to invest $150 million in a new unit for aircraft engine MRO in India to cater to its airline customers. The other major players in the market are AIESL, Air Works, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Indamer Private Limited, Deccan Charter, Taj Air, Bird ExecuJet, GMR Aero Technic Limited, and Max MRO Private Limited.

Air Works India (Engineering) Pvt Ltd provides aviation services. The Company offers line maintenance, aircraft cabin interior, commercial aircraft asset management, and safety management solutions. Air Works is CEMILAC and DGAQA certified for MRO services and provides maintenance and warranty support programmes on behalf of OEM to defence establishments in India for airframe-related MRO. Max Aerospace and Aviation Ltd at Juhu airport and Hyderabad Aircraft Maintenance Company (HAMCO) at Hyderabad overhaul avionics and electrical and airframe services. Taneja Aerospace & Aviation Limited (TAAL) is part of the Pune-based Indian Seamless group. Most of these players provide line maintenance, heavy maintenance and component overhaul. AIESL is the only player extending full-fledged engine overhaul facility in India. AIESL, a subsidiary of Air India, is the market leader, followed by Air Works which has the second highest share in the market revenue. Air Works has a global presence. However, it provides only MRO services in India.

JOINT VENTURES/PARTNERSHIPS

With the increase in the number of civil and military aircraft, more and more global MRO companies are planning to offer engineering services by forming Joint Ventures (JV) with Indian firms. For instance, GMR Hyderabad International Airport (GHIAL) and MAS Aerospace Engineering (MAE), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines have set up a 50:50 JV airframe MRO company in Hyderabad. The company would make an initial investment of $50 million. Another 1,000-acre MRO and aerospace park will be developed near the international airport at Devanahalli in Bengaluru. Also, Jupiter Aviation and HAL have already acquired land for MRO in Karnataka. Other JVs include Boeing with Air India, Airbus with Air India, Sabena Technics of TAT Group, France with TAAL, Timco Aviation Services with HAL, EADS with Air India and Jupiter Aviation & Logistics, Eurocopter with Pawan Hans Helicopters for Dauphin fleet, Concor with HAL, SIA Engineering of Singapore with Wadia group, Pratt and Whitney with HAL (engines), GE Aviation with Air India (engines), Rosoboronexport of Russia and India’s Krasny Marine Services for Russian fleet, Taneja Aerospace with Air Works Commercial MRO Services Pvt. Ltd. For MRO, GMR with Lufthansa Technik, EADS with Indian Aero Ventures for airport development and operation, Max Aerospace with Air France-KLM for MRO facility for aircraft components in India and Maini Global Aerospace Pvt. Ltd. (MGA) with GE Aviation, among others.

PUBLIC SECTOR DEFENCE AEROSPACE INDUSTRY IN INDIA

Indian aerospace industry today is on the threshold of entering into a new era with self-reliance in defence production. The Indian manufacturing sector is internationally competitive with international quality standards, efficiency and manufacturing facilities. HAL has played a major role in the defence aviation of India through design, manufacture and overhaul of fighters, trainer aircraft, helicopters, transport aircraft, engines, avionics and systems. HAL is now ranked 34th in the list of the world’s top 100 defence manufacturing companies. HAL has supplied to almost all the major aerospace companies in the world such as Airbus, Boeing, IAI, IRKUT, and Honeywell and Ruag. Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) manufactures a wide repertoire of products in the field of radars, naval systems, defence communication, electronic warfare, and optical electronics. Major international aerospace companies are setting up manufacturing facilities in India.

MILITARY MRO MARKET

The generated revenue from defence aircraft MRO has finally started increasing. The prime reason facilitating this has been the large fleet size of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Moreover, the Indian Navy and the Indian Army have their independent fleet which further increases the demand for aviation MRO. HAL provides aircraft MRO for Kiran, Jaguar, Mirage 2000, MiG-21 Bison, Dornier Do-228, HS-748, An-32, ALH, Cheetah and Chetak helicopters. The revenue generated from engine overhaul is the highest.

Militaries focus more on the periodic maintenance of the fleet in view of the flying risks involved. Technology advancements entail several upgrade contracts which have also propelled the growth of the military aviation MRO market. The increasing complexity of the engine and its parts gets high priority and militaries focus on frequent engine maintenance and periodic checks, irrespective of whether it is flying or not. Engine MRO is also the most expensive one. The quantum of flying being undertaken in each fleet is known and requirement of overhauls can be predicted. There is, therefore, some clarity in the task and job required for overhaul. It will make it is easier for industry to do logistics and economic planning based on such predictions. Success of the industry could also relieve the IAF of some non-core activities. The IAF operates nearly 240 Mi-17 variants. There are civil variants of this platform. This could be a great starting point. The strategic partner route will soon open up manufacture and procurements of aircraft and systems made in India. Production of parts will get the technological fillip. The setting up of aircraft production will certainly create MRO opportunities.

MRO ASSOCIATION OF INDIA

A professional body was formed on June 8, 2011, to lobby with the government for a level playing field for the Indian MRO industry. The MRO Association of India has been able to work with the MOCA to formulate a draft Policy on MRO, and get some long-term reforms enacted such as the exemption of basic customs duty on aircraft spares and extension of the duty-free period for spares consumption from three months to one year apart from the roll back of the Gross Turnover Tax charged by airports to MRO from 36 per cent to 13 per cent, as well as the Maharashtra State Government’s exemption of the VAT of 12.5 on spare parts.

OPPORTUNITIES AND CHALLENGES

As per an Advaya Legal Consultancy firm report, when compared to some other countries, India’s taxation policies are less favourable for the MRO industry. With an 18 per cent GST, Indian service providers have to compete with overseas players that only pay five per cent tax, that too at cost price. Furthermore, the MRO rentals at the privatised airports in New Delhi and Mumbai are 50 to 100 per cent higher than the rates for equivalent facilities in Europe and Turkey. Indian airports also charge a royalty of nearly 20 per cent on maintenance work. GST, royalty and lease rentals need to be rationalised and made competitive so as to promote the Indian MRO business.

The highest MRO revenue comes from defence aircraft. The revenue from commercial aircraft MRO has been the second highest share. The revenue generated from Engine Overhaul is the highest for civil sector. AIESL Overhaul facilities are located in Mumbai, Delhi, Nagpur, Kolkata, Thiruvananthapuram and Hyderabad. The revenue from aircraft heavy maintenance and modifications is the second highest. In India, very few companies provide heavy maintenance services, and therefore, most air operators prefer to avail this service abroad.

MRO services in India used to incur 18 per cent GST compared to zero in Sri Lanka and seven per cent in Singapore and Malaysia. For an industry with six to seven per cent operating margins, combined with 15 to 30 per cent airport royalties and hangar rentals, it made poor economic sense. The GST on MRO was finally reviewed in the Council meeting chaired by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, and the change is being implemented from April 01, 2020.

WAY AHEAD FOR INDIA

As per a Globe Newswire report, the Indian MRO market is forecast to grow at an expected five-year CAGR of close to ten per cent by 2023. The market is estimated to grow at an expected CAGR of 12 per cent in the longer run. Availability of low-cost MRO manpower gives India an added advantage over USA, Europe, Singapore and others. Increase in the Indian commercial and business fleet size has been another major factor driving the demand for MRO services in the country. Boeing has predicted that by 2035, India’s demand for civil aircraft will touch 1,740 and will be valued at $240 billion. Airbus is expecting an annual growth rate of over 11 per cent for the domestic market in India over the next decade.

The National Civil Aviation Policy (NCAP 2016) and the opening up of defence MRO sectors need to be harnessed. MRO providers are also turning to state-of-the-art technology such as automation to offer high-quality maintenance, thus keeping their competitive edge. India has the potential to become a major MRO Hub. Initiatives to set up MRO are aligned fully with the ‘Make in India’ drive of the government. Significant manufacturing and MRO facilities have already been set up by some OEMs in India in partnerships with Indian firms. These include Lockheed Martin, Boeing, BAE Systems, Thales, and GE among others. They are already sourcing many items from the Indian private sector. Technical wherewithal, manufacturing expertise and skilled human resources are well established.

The IAF fully supports indigenisation and setting up of MRO facilities. The government must support setting up of MROs by giving tax concessions to local investors, to make it financially viable. Many air forces in South East Asia operate similar aircraft as the IAF such as the Su-30. The Rafale is operated by Egypt and Qatar, giving India the opportunity to set up MRO facilities here. India must translate the changes into reality in order to become a game-changer hub for the MRO industry in Asia.