India boasts a thriving aerospace industry, offering a mix of civil, defense and space companies. Multinational companies are drawn to India for its skilled workforce, often partnering with local companies to develop military aircraft. India’s push for self-reliance has also fueled its aerospace sector, which is evidenced by its innovative startups. Below, we take a look at some of the top aerospace companies in India.
Top Aerospace Companies in India
- Lockheed Martin
- Collins Aerospace
- Boeing
- Safran
- Airbus
20 Aerospace Companies in India to Know
Lockheed Martin opened its India subsidiary in New Delhi in 2008. The U.S.-headquartered defense and aerospace company has partnered with Tata Advanced Systems to produce the F-21 fighter plane and the C-130J Super Hercules cargo aircraft for the Indian Air Force, as well as the MH-60R helicopter for the Indian Navy.
Collins Aerospace, a large aerospace and defense company, is a subsidiary of RTX Corporation, formerly known as Raytheon Technologies. It employs about 5,000 people in India, with offices in Bengaluru, Hyderabad and Gurgaon. Collins’ India teams produce a range of products, including flight control systems, landing gear and components found in the interior of commercial aircraft.
Boeing, a large U.S. company that manufactures commercial, military and space aircraft, employs over 6,000 people in India. Its teams in Bengaluru and Chennai conduct advanced aerospace engineering work. Boeing's joint venture with Tata Group produces fuselages for AH-64 Apache helicopters and vertical fin structures for Boeing 737 aircraft.
Safran is a French aerospace company with more than 2,000 workers across 17 India locations. Through a joint venture with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited called Safran-HAL, it produces engines and engine components for aircraft engines. Safran also manufactures transmission systems, wheels and carbon brakes for several types of aircraft. More than 75 percent of aircraft operated in India use Safran’s engines and equipment.
Airbus is one of the biggest manufacturers of commercial aircraft and helicopters in the world. The French company employs more than 900 engineers at its Bengaluru engineering center, which supports the company’s commercial, helicopter and defense and space divisions. Airbus also employs more than 1,000 IT professionals at its Bengaluru information management center and 150 customer service representatives at its Bengaluru and New Delhi offices.
Hindustan Aeronautics Limited is a government-owned company that manufactures military jets and helicopters, as well as avionics systems and other instruments, for the Indian Air Force. Established in 1940, the Bengaluru-based company operates 10 R&D centers and 20 manufacturing facilities in India. HAL has also established joint venture companies with several multinational firms, like Safran, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce.
Tata Advanced Systems, a subsidiary of the Tata Group conglomerate, is the largest private aerospace manufacturer in India, according to its website. Headquartered in Hyderabad, the company has more than 4,000 employees and 3 million square feet of manufacturing space. The company has partnered with multinational giants like Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky and Airbus to manufacture and assemble aerospace and defense systems.
Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) is a government-owned company that manufactures electronic products for aerospace applications and defense applications. This includes avionics like flight control systems and cockpit modules, as well as air traffic management systems and airport surveillance radar. Headquartered in Bengaluru, the company employs nearly 9,000 people across nine Indian cities.
Skyroot Aerospace, a startup founded in 2018, develops rockets that send small satellites into space. It launched India’s first privately developed rocket, Vikram-S, into space in 2022. As of 2024, the company was developing a second commercial rocket, Vikram-1, that could take payloads up to 300 kilograms into low-earth orbit. Skyroot employs more than 300 people at its facility in Hyderabad.
Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) is a public sector defense company that supplies guided missile systems and other airborne weapons systems to the Indian military. Founded in 1970, the Hyderabad-headquartered company employs roughly 2,400 employees across its three manufacturing locations.
Perhaps best known for its luxury automobiles, Rolls-Royce is also one of the world’s largest manufacturers of engines for commercial airliners, corporate jets and defense aircraft. The London-based company employs 3,000 Indians, including 2,000 engineers, either directly or through outsourcing agreements. It has nine Indian office locations, including Delhi, Pune and Bengaluru.
Unimech Aerospace manufactures precision components and electro-mechanical assemblies for aerospace companies, and it provides them with tooling for airframes, aircraft engines and aircraft line maintenance. Founded in 2016, the Bengaluru-based company employs more than 200 people.
Dhruva Space enables its clients to send satellites into low-Earth orbit using its full-stack set of solutions including satellite platforms, launch solutions and ground stations to track and control assets. The company, which was founded in 2012, employs more than 100 people at its facility in Hyderabad.
Mahindra Aerospace, a subsidiary of Mahindra & Mahindra, produces metallic components and assemblies used by 20 aerospace customers, including Airbus, Boeing and GE Aerospace. The company employs roughly 500 employees at its manufacturing facility located 50 kilometers outside Bengaluru.
BrahMos Aerospace was established in 1998 as a joint venture between the Indian and Russian governments. The company developed the BRAHMOS supersonic cruise missile, which can be launched from land, aircraft, ship or submarine. The company is headquartered in New Delhi, where products are designed, analyzed and produced. All of the subsystems are integrated and checked at the company’s Hyderabad facility.
Asteria Aerospace develops drones and accompanying software that allows users to plan automated flight paths, live stream drone video and capture, analyze and report data gathered by the drone. Founded in 2012, the Bengaluru-based company has deployed more than 400 drones and has worked with more than 70 clients in the defense, agriculture, energy and telecom sectors.
BAE Systems is a London-based aerospace and defense company that employs 100,000 people across 40 countries, including India. Since 2004, the company has partnered with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) to manufacture the Hawk advanced jet trainer in Bengaluru.
GE Aerospace produces engines for commercial airlines like Air India, as well as military fighter jets and helicopters used by the Indian Air Force. GE contributes to aviation innovation at its John F. Welch Technology Center in Bengaluru, and it produces engine components at its Pune plant. The company has also developed partnerships with Indian companies, such as Tata Advanced Systems and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited.
Bellatrix Aerospace is a Bengaluru aerospace startup developing alternative propulsion systems that can deploy satellites into orbit. One of its more unique alternatives is a plasma thruster fueled by water. The company, which was founded in 2015, is also developing an orbital transit vehicle that can maneuver satellites in orbit.
Sikorsky Aircraft, a helicopter manufacturer owned by Lockheed Martin, has partnered with Tata Advanced Systems to create Tata Sikorsky Aerospace Ltd. The Hyderabad-based company manufactures more than 5,000 precision components found in the cabin of Sikorsky’s S-92 helicopter.
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