Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to designate the Bengaluru–Hyderabad belt as a defence and aerospace corridor. He made the appeal during the inauguration of Safran’s largest MRO centre for CFM International’s LEAP engines in Hyderabad.

The new Safran Aircraft Engine Services India (SAESI) facility, located at the GMR AeroPark (SEZ) near Shamshabad, will become operational in 2026. Revanth Reddy thanked Safran for its investment and partnership with Telangana, stating that the new MRO centre represents a major milestone in the state’s aerospace and defence growth.

This is India’s first dedicated Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) centre for LEAP engines, developed with an investment of around Rs 13 billion. The facility will employ more than 1,000 skilled engineers and technicians while creating new opportunities for local MSMEs and precision engineering firms. The foundation stone for Safran’s M88 military engine MRO was also laid, intended to support both the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy.

The Chief Minister emphasised Hyderabad’s emergence as a major aerospace and defence hub, hosting over 25 global firms and more than 1,500 MSMEs. He noted that Telangana’s progressive industrial and MSME policies continue to attract leading global manufacturers. Hyderabad has become a preferred destination for companies such as Safran, Boeing, Airbus, Tata and Bharat Forge.

Revanth Reddy highlighted that Telangana’s aerospace and defence exports doubled last year, reaching about Rs 307.42 billion in nine months, surpassing its pharmaceutical exports for the first time. The state has also consistently won the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s Best State Award for Aerospace.

Skilling remains central to Telangana’s strategy. The state has upgraded 100 Industrial Training Institutes into Advanced Technology Centres in collaboration with Tata Technologies, and the Young India Skills University now offers specialised training in aircraft maintenance. The Chief Minister invited Safran to partner in future aerospace and MRO skilling initiatives.

Reaffirming Telangana’s commitment to global investors, Revanth Reddy spoke about the upcoming Bharat Future City, a planned net-zero, 30,000-acre global destination positioned as India’s answer to major world cities. He invited the Prime Minister to attend the ‘Telangana Rising 2047 – Global Summit’ on 8–9 December, where the state will outline its long-term vision. Telangana aims to become a USD 1 trillion economy by 2035 and a USD 3 trillion economy by 2047.