Context: French aerospace Dassault Aviation has shown interest in establishing a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility and a skill university near the upcoming Noida International Airport in Jewar, in collaboration with the Uttar Pradesh government.
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- The company has chosen to establish an MRO facility within a 1,365-hectare area.
- The primary objective of the proposed MRO facility is to service both military and civil aircraft.
- Dassault plans to establish a Centre of Excellence that will offer aviation-related courses and apprenticeships. This will aim to enhance skill development in the aviation sector.
- As part of this initiative, Dassault intends to offer an aeronautical syllabus at the high school, intermediate, and graduate levels, along with skilled diplomas ranging from two to three years.
- Additionally, Dassault aims to create a Skill University exclusively focused on MRO, with the goal of training and employing skilled professionals at the MRO facility.
- The Uttar Pradesh government has launched an MRO policy offering subsidies and simplifying the process for setting up MRO facilities in the state.
- According to studies, the MRO industry in India was valued at $1.7 billion in 2021 and is projected to reach $7 billion by 2030.
- Currently, India relies on other countries for MRO services. The country has 713 aircraft, a number expected to increase to 1,552 by 2031.
- The Indian Air Force operates 36 Rafale jets and around 50 Mirage-2000 aircraft.
- According to sources, maintenance costs account for about 12-15% of total revenue.
- To address this, plans are underway to establish MRO hubs at and around the airport.
- Once these hubs are operational, India will no longer need to depend on countries like the U.S., China, or Singapore for aircraft maintenance.