The global leader in aircraft engines Pratt & Whitney’s Indian subsidiary plans to source nearly $150 million worth of products on an annual basis from the country by 2030.
Speaking with Fe, Ashmita Sethi, president & country head, Pratt & Whitney, India, said that the engine maker has sourced nearly $55 million in the past 10 years from India.
“We have sourced over $500 million in engineering services into India over the past two decades. We aim to expand our sourcing in India to reach nearly $150 million annually by 2030,” she told Fe.
“Supply chain growth has always been integral to our partnership with India, and we have been working with Indian suppliers for over a decade in machining and assembly. We work relentlessly with our suppliers to ensure they are structured to meet our stringent safety, quality, schedule, and cost requirements.”
At present, the company’s engines and APUs are equipped with more than 400 civilian aircraft and nearly 90 military planes in India.
In terms of investments, the engine maker has several training, engineering, and digital facilities in India. It has invested over $40 million in engineering and supply chain operations centers in just the past two years.
Recently, PW India opened its new India ‘Digital Capability Center’ (IDCC) in Bengaluru. The new center is expected to accelerate innovation and drive digital and business transformation for Pratt & Whitney facilities worldwide.
When asked about the possibility of PW India setting up an aircraft engine MRO in India, Sethi said, “We remain open to exploring MRO interest in India.”
“The decision will be based on many factors, such as a strong business case, competitive labour, and the import of parts.”
India’s civil aviation regulator has asked the engine maker to set up an MRO in the country due to the recent troubles with the GTF engines. Due to the troubles with the engine, airline major IndiGo had to recently ground nearly 35 aircraft, and Go First blamed the engine maker for going into bankruptcy protection.
The engines are facing heavy wear and tear, apart from the recent problem of powder metal. PW has issued global advice and has worked out a schedule for engine inspections and replacements.
Sethi added that globally, the engine maker is accelerating its previously planned investments to increase capacity and bring more shops online to support customers.
“We now have 16 active GTF MRO sites globally, with plans for an additional three shops to come online by 2025, bringing the total to 19. We are trying to minimise the impact on our customers’ fleet and operations.”
“MRO sites globally, with plans for an additional three shops to come online by 2025, bringing the total to 19. Of course, we continue to work with our Indian customers to minimise the impact on their fleet and operations.”
