Thales Expands High-Tech Presence in India, Plans Avionics MRO Facility in Delhi

Defense News ,India :- In an effort to strengthen their strategic partnership, New Delhi and Paris witnessed French defense major Thales announcing its commitment to bring its trusted high-tech capabilities to India. The company is set to establish an avionics Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) facility in Delhi, aiming to provide world-class services to airline customers.

Vice President and Country Director of Thales India, Ashish Saraf, expressed the company's dedication to supporting the ongoing modernization and indigenization efforts in India's aerospace and defense sector. This announcement comes following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Jaipur, where both leaders emphasized the need for enhanced bilateral cooperation in defense, security, trade, and clean energy.

Saraf highlighted the avionics MRO initiative in Delhi as a pivotal step, underlining Thales' full support for India's domestic defense manufacturing. The company aims to leverage its high-tech capabilities and decades-long experience, collaborating closely with local industries to contribute to the "Make-in-India" initiative.

Regarding India's procurement plans for 26 Rafale-M fighter jets and three Scorpene submarines from France, Saraf emphasized Thales' pride in being a member of the Rafale team. Thales provides cutting-edge equipment and systems aboard the Rafale, including radar, electronic warfare systems, optronics, communication navigation and identification systems (CNI), and cockpit display systems.

Thales sees significant potential for growth in India across key markets such as defense, aerospace, and digital identity and security. The company has initiated various efforts to expand its local footprint, including the recent inauguration of a state-of-the-art facility in Bangalore.

Saraf mentioned the symbolic significance of President Macron gracing Republic Day celebrations, reflecting the strong India-France bilateral relationship. Thales is optimistic about the opportunities arising from the growing partnership, particularly in the areas of defense, security, space, and cyberspace.

The Thales executive disclosed plans to set up an Avionics MRO facility in Delhi NCR, emphasizing its commitment to providing world-class service efficiency to airline customers. Thales is actively ramping up its engineering centers and teams in Bangalore and Noida, aiming to capitalize on India's engineering talent for research and development.

The second Thales facility in Bangalore serves as an extension of its engineering center, collaborating with its counterpart in Bordeaux, France. The defense and strategic ties between India and France continue to strengthen, with a focus on co-development, co-production of advanced defense technologies, and expanding cooperation in the maritime domain, particularly in the Indian Ocean Region.