Safran and HAL sign contract to produce forged parts for LEAP engines

February 12, 2025, Bengaluru (India) 

At the Aero India trade show in Bengaluru, India, Safran Aircraft Engines, the world's leading French engine manufacturer in the design, development and production of aircraft engines, signed a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India's leading aviation company, for the production of turbine forged parts for LEAP engines. 

This contract follows on from the MoU (Memorandum of Understanding), signed between the two partners in October 2023, to develop industrial cooperation with commercial engine parts’ manufacturing as part of the Indian government's “Make in India” policy. The objective is to support the strong growth of the Indian aerospace market and ensure the ramp-up of LEAP engines powering single-aisle civil aircraft. To this end, Safran and HAL set up the Safran HAL Aircraft Engines joint venture in Bengaluru in 2022, specializing in the manufacture of components for the LEAP engine, as well as the M88 engine powering the Rafale. To further strengthen its capabilities, Safran Aircraft Engines is developing a complete aerospace ecosystem in India, with the creation of new facilities, and drawing on a network of major Indian partners. 

“Safran and HAL are having long-standing relationship enriched over the past few decades through the joint development of the “Shakti” helicopter engine, which also paved the way for co-design and co-development of IMRH engine. We are delighted to take this collaboration to next level and to support their LEAP engine production with critical Nickel Ring forgings”, said Dr. D K Sunil, Chairman & Managing Director, HAL. 

"We are very enthusiastic about continuing this partnership with HAL," said Dominique Dupuy, Safran Aircraft Engines' Purchasing VP. "We are perfectly in line with the objectives set out in our 2023 agreement for the production of forged parts". 

Safran Aircraft Engines is thus strengthening its footprint in India, a key market where the company already has five production sites in Hyderabad, Bangalore and Goa. A sixth site, dedicated to LEAP engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities, will open in Hyderabad in 2025. India is CFM's third largest market in terms of the number of engines in service, with 75% of the Indian commercial fleet equipped with CFM engines. Today, of the 500 aircraft operated by 7 Indian airlines with CFM engines, over 370 are LEAP-powered, and over 2,000 engines on order are for Indian airlines. In addition, Safran Aircraft Engines plans to develop its military collaboration with India on the M88 engine.