The Ministry of Civil Aviation hopes the ongoing free trade agreement (FTA) negotiations with the European Union (EU) will help push the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) to accept certifications issued by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), a senior government official told Fe.
“While India currently recognizes certifications from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the government is now negotiating the same recognition for the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) to bolster domestic manufacturing efforts,” the government official said.
He added that for India to become a true manufacturer, it must move beyond unilateral acceptance of foreign standards.
“If EASA certifies, we accept it… But for our own manufacturing, this reciprocity is a very important angle we want to pursue,” the official stated, noting that Indian teams are ready to improve Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) to meet international requirements if necessary.
Broader Trade Strategy
This push is being integrated into broader Free Trade Agreements (FTAs), using trade negotiations as a “bouquet” to secure aviation safety and certification concessions alongside other commercial interests, the official said.
He added that currently, while 95% of line and base maintenance is conducted within India, the country still loses significant revenue and time on component and engine repairs, which are largely handled abroad.
“When an engine leaves for service, it disappears for four to five months,” the official noted, highlighting the urgent need to keep that “money of the country” within its borders.
He also pointed out that India possesses the two critical ingredients for a successful MRO sector, including a massive volume of orders and a highly skilled, English-speaking workforce, particularly technicians and engineers retiring from the Armed Forces.
“The goal is to not only service the domestic fleet but to attract business from neighboring countries like Sri Lanka, Bhutan, and Bangladesh,” the official added.
India currently has around 149 DGCA-certified MROs. But only about 10 of those have EASA certification or reciprocal approvals from the European regulator, which is mandatory for servicing European aircraft and components, particularly those made by Airbus.
Certifications are offering specific, like every facility has to be separately certified, every engine being serviced and the nature of service has to be separately certified.
In the absence of such certification, an Indian MRO cannot service, maintain or supply parts for European aircraft or component suppliers, even if it is cleared by the DGCA.
Complex Maintenance Hurdles
The civil aviation ministry has been discussing the proposal with the department of commerce as part of the broader FTA framework, the official said.
Nearly 95% of routine maintenance checks and quick repairs at airport gates are currently done in India. However, more complex and profitable tasks, such as engine and component maintenance, are often performed overseas due to certification challenges.
For example, India does not handle maintenance for wide-bodied Boeing jets, which are typically sent abroad for servicing.
Sharad Agarwal, CEO of AIESL (the country’s largest and only state-backed maintenance, repair, and overhaul provider), explained that the regulations from DGCA differ significantly from those of EASA.
“EASA requires detailed certification for each engine type,” Agarwal emphasized that if India aligns its processes with EASA, more MROs could obtain the necessary certifications. AIESL operates facilities in Thiruvananthapuram and Nagpur.
India currently holds about 10% of the global MRO market. Policymakers believe that aligning with European standards could help Indian companies service not only domestic fleets but also foreign aircraft in the region.
In August 2025, Murlidhar Mohol, the Minister of State for Civil Aviation, reported to Parliament that the MRO sector in India is expected to grow to $4 billion by 2031, with an annual growth rate of 8.9%, surpassing the global average of 5.6%.