HYDERABAD, India, Nov 26, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - French aerospace group Safran said Wednesday it will triple its annual revenue in India to $3.5 billion by 2030 as it invests in one of the world's fastest-growing aviation markets.

Half of that revenue will be generated by facilities in India, Safran CEO Olivier Andries said, with the group building what it bills as the world's largest maintenance centre for LEAP engines, used in most single-aisle planes.

"The opening of this site illustrates the importance of India for our group," Andries said.

"We are proud to support the rapid growth of the civil and military aviation markets in the country as well as the strategic autonomy of the country," he added.

India's Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu said the prospects in the world's fifth-largest economy were immense for foreign players.

"Over the past 11 years, India's aviation ecosystem has made a decisive leap, doubling the number of airports, aircraft, and passengers," Naidu said.

LEAP engines are used in all Boeing 737 MAX and about 60 percent of Airbus A320neo -- the best-selling models of the two aircraft manufacturers -- as well as Chin's COMAC C919 aircraft.

The Hyderabad centre, due to begin operations early next year, cost $234 million to build and will have the capacity to maintain and repair 300 LEAP engines a year.

Spanning 45,000 square metres (484,000 square feet), it will initially employ more than 250 people and up to 1,100 in the long term.

Until now, Indian airlines have serviced their single-aisle aircraft engines abroad.

"By 2030, up to 90 percent of the maintenance of LEAP engines for Indian airlines will be carried out in this workshop," said Naidu, referring to the Hyderabad centre.

"This will significantly reduce dependence on foreign centres, costs, and turnaround times," he said.