French aerospace giant Safran plans to establish a new entity to focus on maintenance and overhaul of Rafale fighter jet engines, specifically the M88 engines, a senior executive of the company who met Telangana Industries and IT Minister D. Sridhar Babu said on Tuesday.

The initiative is expected to create around 150 jobs by 2026 with potential to add another 750 positions in subsequent phases. Safran Aircraft Engine Services India will be the name of the new entity, Safran’s General Manager Pierre Fernandez informed during the meeting, the Minister’s office said in a release.

Safran, which has two world-class production facilities in Hyderabad, is significantly expanding operations in Telangana, with a major investment in the city. Safran’s Hyderabad operations are poised to become a central hub for the production and export of critical components for Rafale engines.

The State government’s support has been instrumental in positioning Hyderabad as a leading aerospace hub. The Minister’s office said the upcoming expansion of the operations underscores Safran’s strategic focus on India as a key market and its commitment to contributing to the country’s aerospace and defence capabilities.

The announcement on the MRO comes on the back of Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems signing four production transfer agreements to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft fuselage in India. Under the partnership, Tata Advanced Systems will set up a cutting-edge production facility in Hyderabad for the manufacture of key structural sections of the Rafale, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage, and the front section.

The first fuselage sections are expected to roll off the assembly line in FY2028, with the facility expected to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month, the two companies said earlier this month.