A market taking off
India’s MRO market is projected to expand at around 8.4% a year through the next decade — the highest rate globally — and to more than double from roughly $3.1 billion in 2026 toward $6.9 billion by 2036. Behind that growth is a commercial fleet expected to almost double as India becomes the world’s third-largest aviation market.
What is driving it
Policy has reshaped the economics of doing maintenance in India: GST on MRO services was cut to 5%, a uniform tax now applies to parts, airport land can be leased long-term for facilities, foreign-airline work has export status, and 100% foreign direct investment is allowed. Landmark investments such as Safran’s LEAP engine overhaul facility in Hyderabad — the first time a global engine maker has set up MRO in India — signal international confidence.
The workforce gap
The sector’s biggest constraint is people. Building a sustainable, skilled workforce is repeatedly identified as the central challenge, and large-scale engine-overhaul capability is still being developed. That gap is precisely the opportunity for trained, licensed engineers.
Where the jobs are
The boom spans the full spectrum of maintenance work: line maintenance at growing airports, base maintenance for heavy checks, component overhaul shops, the emerging engine-MRO segment, and specialisations like NDT and avionics. Each needs licensed AMEs, technicians and support engineers.
How to position yourself
Clear your CAR-66 modules, obtain your basic licence, and build type ratings on the fleets Indian carriers operate. Consider specialising where demand outstrips supply — avionics, engines and NDT — and stay mobile as new facilities open across the country.
Rarely does a career map align so neatly with a national growth story: India needs thousands of engineers, and the engineers who prepare now will define the sector.