In a conversation with the Financial Express Online Par Wadhawan, managing director and Site Lead of Collins Aerospace, Bangalore discussed India’s aim to become an aerospace manufacturing hub, the government’s role, policies, and more.
Excerpts follow.
On India’s capacity and potential in the global manufacturing hub
Wadhawan: India most certainly has a large talent pool in engineering, production, etc. alongside the technologies to become a manufacturing powerhouse. This is made evident by the number of foreign companies that outsource their manufacturing work to India.
India acknowledges that it needs managerial and technological expertise from foreign Original Equipment Manufacturers that will be critical to the development of a defense or commercial aircraft. Consequently, certain reforms will have to be implemented to create a more advantageous operating ecosystem and catalyze growth. Changes in market economics, regulatory environment, and the competitive landscape will create further growth opportunities throughout the value chain.
How India can become a global hub for defense manufacturing
Wadhawan: India needs to increase its focus on research and development if it wants to become a global hub for defense manufacturing. While the country’s overall defense budget has seen a year-on-year uptick, the research and development investment is less than one percent of the GDP. Ideally, this data point should be doubled, and the annual budget should include R&D as a separate expenditure to ensure allocation and spend. If the country wants to be a leader, it should embrace cutting-edge technology and work with private entities to up the ante.
The privatization of some of the 51 laboratories that belong to the federal Defense Research and Development Organization’s 51 laboratories, will result in greater efficiencies. Privatization can also ensure that quality and production are better managed and that budget funds for R&D are utilized effectively.
India should build an ecosystem of a strong supply base and engineering competencies to increase local content not only for the Indian market but for the global market as well. However, we should also focus on the certifying of raw materials so that we can reduce our dependency on imports over time.
The government’s role in making India an aerospace manufacturing hub
Wadhawan: The government’s role in this endeavor will largely be in terms of policy making and fund allocation. Government needs to find ways to disrupt a large but slow-moving industry and this they can do with the implementation of strategic and well thought out incentives that encourage private and public players to collaborate.
We [Collins Aerospace] recognize the government’s emphasis on aviation infrastructure development, and we look forward to contributing to the sector’s growth in areas such as the connected aviation ecosystem for India’s aviation infrastructure needs. We will endeavor to remain a trusted partner to the clients and government in India.
How Collins Aerospace plans to support ‘Make in India’ (Self sufficiency)
Wadhawan: Collins Aerospace has been instrumental in building the overall Indian aerospace sector by developing suppliers and offering superior products and services. With the support of the Federal Aviation Administration and the Directorate General of Civil Aviation, we were able to become one of the first Indian companies to domestically manufacture and export an aviation product to the United States. We have also successfully built, developed, and certified the A320neo and Bombardier C-series power door opening system at our Bangalore facility.
On India as a market for global players in aerospace
Wadhawan: We can expect an active participation of global players that will further boost the growth of the aerospace industry in India. Currently, we see global manufacturers actively partnering with SME enterprises and local suppliers in India to build a healthy and state-of-the-art aerospace industry ecosystem. It presents a great opportunity for start-ups as well as established players.
India holds a lot of potential and if planned well and executed effectively, we can definitely be one of the leaders in the aerospace manufacturing vertical.
Last updated: December 26th, 2025
