"The domestic MRO industry is severely lacking in terms of providing across-the-board comprehensive MRO solutions, which include heavy maintenance. With India poised to become the third biggest commercial aircraft market after the US and China in coming years as well as being a major defence aircraft market, it is only logical to have an across-the-board MRO facility in India itself," industry sources stated.
Adani Defence's acquisition of Air Works is a major step in addressing the "loophole," the sources stated. "Essentially, in the medium to long term, Adani is looking at breaking the North American and Western European monopoly in providing comprehensive MRO solutions, for which the aircraft have to be flown to overseas facilities."
"The initial focus of Adani-Air Works would be on servicing civilian aircraft, while simultaneously ramping up the capabilities to provide solutions for Indian Air Force [IAF] and Indian Navy [IN] aircraft which are part of the current client base of Air Base," industry sources highlighted.
Meanwhile, announcing the acquisition of majority stakes in Air Works, Adani Defence and Aerospace CEO Ashish Rajvanshi said in a statement that the deal represented a "pivotal step" in strengthening India's MRO capabilities and the country's sovereignty.
“This growth aligns seamlessly with the Government’s vision to connect every corner of our nation, creating unprecedented opportunities in aviation services. For us, creating a presence in the MRO sector is more than just a strategic step — it’s a commitment to building an integrated aviation services ecosystem that strengthens the backbone of India’s aviation infrastructure," Adani stated.