India’s aerospace push gains momentum as Mahindra Aerostructures bags new Airbus A320 contract

India’s push to become a major global aerospace manufacturing hub has received another boost, with Mahindra Aerostructures Pvt. Ltd. (MASPL) securing a new contract from Airbus to manufacture and supply fuselage skins for the A320 family of aircraft.

The contract will see the Mahindra Group company manufacture critical aerostructure components at its Bengaluru facility for the A320neo and A321XLR, with the finished parts to be supplied to Airbus’ manufacturing facility in Augsburg, Germany. The deal expands Mahindra Aerostructures’ role in Airbus’ global supply chain and strengthens the manufacturing capabilities being developed in India.

The development comes as India seeks to move beyond supplying smaller aerospace components and establish capabilities for manufacturing increasingly complex aircraft structures. Under the latest agreement, Mahindra will manufacture eight fuselage skins for Section 18 and three for Section 19, covering parts of the aircraft’s rear fuselage and tail sections.

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Advanced manufacturing in Bengaluru

The contract is also expected to push investment in specialised aerospace manufacturing technologies in India. Mahindra Aerostructures plans to establish advanced production lines for chemical milling, surface treatment and stretch forming as part of a multi-year industrialisation programme.

Engineering activities, including tooling design, process-flow updates, qualification and inspection, have already begun, with the first deliveries targeted for 2028. The programme also aligns with Mahindra Aerostructures’ strategy of moving towards the manufacture of larger fuselage sections in India.

Vinod Sahay, President, Mahindra Aerospace, Advanced Technologies and Trucks & Buses, described the agreement as another step in the company’s relationship with Airbus.

“This marks another important step in our longstanding relationship with Airbus and further strengthens Mahindra Aerostructures’ role in the global aerospace supply chain. The manufacture of fuselage skins for the A320 family requires advanced process capabilities and precision at scale. Through investments in specialised technologies and manufacturing infrastructure, we will build critical capabilities in India and support Airbus’ requirements from our Bengaluru facility. We are grateful to Airbus for its continued confidence in Mahindra Aerostructures.” Sahay said.

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India is gaining a bigger role

Airbus India and South Asia President and Managing Director Jürgen Westermeier said the new contract demonstrates the precision-engineering capabilities available in India.

“We are delighted to expand our long-standing partnership with Mahindra Aerostructures as we continue to strengthen India’s role in our global supply chain. This contract for the manufacturing of the A320 family fuselage skins is a testament to the world-class precision engineering capabilities present in the country,” Westermeier said.

India’s growing Airbus partnership

Airbus has steadily increased aerospace manufacturing work with Indian companies over the years. In 2016, Mahindra Aerostructures became the first Indian company to secure a direct Airbus Helicopters Tier-1 manufacturing contract for AS565 MBe Panther airframe parts.

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In 2023, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) won a contract to manufacture A320neo cargo doors, while Aequs, Dynamatic Technologies, Gardner and Mahindra Aerostructures received contracts for components across Airbus’ A320neo, A330neo and A350 programmes. In 2024, TASL and Mahindra Aerostructures secured additional work for metallic parts and assemblies. Airbus has said its annual procurement from India is worth around $750 million.