New Delhi – GE Aerospace and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (“TASL”) announced November 4 that they have extended the manufacturing agreement under terms of which TASL will continue to produce and supply several commercial aircraft engine components to GE’s global engine manufacturing factories.
The multi-year long term contract is valued over USD $1 billion and showcases the growing relationship between GE and TASL in the aerospace industry. The engine parts will be manufactured at the Tata Centre of Excellence for Aero Engines (“Tata-TCoE”) in Hyderabad.
The Tata Centre of Excellence for Aero Engines was established in 2018 to manufacture CFM International (a 50/50 joint business between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines) LEAP engine components in India. The LEAP engine continues to deliver improved fuel efficiency and asset utilization for today’s newest commercial narrowbody aircraft, logging more than 23 million engine flight hours since entering service in 2016.
The Tata GE-COE showcases world class manufacturing, special processes, and engineering capabilities in India. It specializes in advanced, precision-machining technologies for aircraft engine manufacturing. These include special process technologies like thermal spray, electron beam welding and X-ray radiography. The Tata-TCoE incorporates Industry 4.0 practices in a digital paperless factory.
“Our relationship with TASL has matured over the last five years. The Tata Centre of Excellence for Aero Engines has grown in scale and importance for us over time and is an excellent showcase of Make in India, for the world,” said Mike Kauffman, VP & GM, Purchasing, GE Aerospace.
“TASL has evolved as the supplier of choice for global aerospace and defense industry. We continue to invest in growing the aerospace skill base, technology, and production capability in the country. The Tata Center of Excellence for Aero Engines has been set up as the state-of-the-art modern shop for complex aero-engine manufacturing for global customers. As a leading commercial engine manufacturer, GE has helped us develop critical aero-engine manufacturing processes here in India with support from GE’s engineering team,” said Mr. Sukaran Singh, Managing Director, and Chief Executive Officer, Tata Advanced Systems Limited.
Operating in India for 120 years, GE today runs 14 own or joint venture manufacturing units in the country, including the multi-modal factory at Pune that builds aviation parts. GE has five technology centres in India including the John F Welch Technology Centre in Bengaluru. Over the decades, GE has built deep relationships with local joint venture partners, customers, and suppliers.
GE’s aviation footprint in India includes military aviation equipment, commercial aviation engines, marine operations, avionics, maintenance, product development and research in addition to local manufacturing. GE’s aviation supply chain partners in India include Tata Advanced Systems, Mahindra Aerostructures, Godrej & Boyce and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited among others.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons is focused on providing integrated solutions for Aerospace, Defence and Homeland Security. In less than a decade, Tata Advanced Systems has become a significant player in the global aerospace market, becoming the premier manufacturing partner for global OEMs as well as the Government of India’s Defence Research and Development Organization. It has capabilities throughout the entire aerospace value chain from design to full aircraft assembly, and is well positioned in areas that include missiles, radars, unmanned aerial systems, command and control systems, optronics and homeland security.
