GMR Aero Technic (GAT) has signed a memorandum of understanding with France-based UUDS Aero to develop aircraft cabin-interior capabilities in India, including a proposed Integrated Cabin Excellence Centre at GAT’s Hyderabad facility. The agreement brings together the Indian maintenance provider’s existing infrastructure and UUDS Aero’s cabin-design and certification expertise. The companies say the centre would serve airlines and aircraft operators in India and international markets.
The proposed centre is intended to cover a wide range of work: cabin design, modification, certification, repair, retrofit, refurbishment, manufacturing and installation. That combination would take GAT beyond conventional airframe maintenance into a more integrated cabin-services offering, where operators can seek design and engineering input alongside physical work on aircraft interiors. The MoU sets out a collaboration; the public announcements do not specify an opening date, investment amount, staffing plan or projected output.
The two companies bring different capabilities to the partnership. GAT operates an aircraft maintenance, repair and overhaul facility near Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, while UUDS Aero contributes cabin-interior design, engineering, certification and production expertise. UUDS holds European Union Aviation Safety Agency approvals as a Part 21J Design Organisation and Part 21G Production Organisation, according to reporting on the agreement. Those credentials relate to aircraft design and production approvals, important components in bringing cabin modifications to market.
The tie-up builds on GAT’s established maintenance operations. GAT’s Hyderabad site has capacity for nine narrowbody maintenance lines, serving aircraft including Airbus A320-family and Boeing 737 models, as well as ATR and Dash 8 aircraft. The facility provides base and line maintenance, preservation and structural repair, and includes workshops for activities such as composites, welding, seats and upholstery. GAT is also an airframe MRO provider with maintenance, end-of-lease, recovery and repainting services.
Cabin work is a natural adjacent business for an MRO provider: aircraft interiors are repaired, refurbished or changed as operators update fleets, respond to wear, or adapt cabins to commercial requirements. Combining engineering, certification and maintenance under a coordinated arrangement could help reduce the hand-offs between firms, although the companies have not disclosed how projects will be organised or what turnaround times the centre may offer.
The partnership also reflects a broader ambition to expand the range of aviation services available in India. The centre is described as capable of supporting both domestic and overseas customers, but it is too early to determine how much work will come from each market. Demand will depend on airline fleet plans, approvals for specific cabin designs, and the ability to deliver modifications within aircraft maintenance schedules.
For Hyderabad, the agreement could add a specialised service line to an aerospace and airport-linked industrial ecosystem already anchored by GAT’s maintenance facility. A centre that performs design and production-related work alongside repair and installation would require trained engineers and technicians, as well as close coordination with regulators and aircraft operators. The companies have not yet announced workforce targets or a detailed implementation timetable.
GMR Aero Technic President and Accountable Manager Ashok Gopinath described the collaboration as a milestone in strengthening the company’s cabin-interior capabilities. UUDS Aero Group Chief Technology Officer and Middle East Managing Director Ashane Gunaratne said the partnership would combine the firms’ technical strengths and support UUDS’s long-term commitment to India. Their stated aim is an end-to-end service proposition; whether that ambition translates into a fully operational centre will become clearer as the partners disclose further details.
