G20 countries all set to advance India’s emergence as a hub of defence MRO

• Most opportune time for foreign OEMs to set up MROs in India: Crown Group President

New Delhi, September 18, 2023: With India positioning itself as a driver of global growth as was amply reflected in the recently concluded G20 Summit with world leaders reposing their faith in New Delhi’s rising stature, the defence MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) sector of our country is all set to get a boost, and realise the make in India dreams, said Crown Group President Vice Admiral (Retd) Paras Nath today.

“The world leaders were unanimous in recognizing and accepting India’s emergence as a power to reckon with. Most of the G20 countries are major trading partners of India and many of them enjoy strategic defence ties with us. They have exhibited a new level of trust and confidence in our multifaceted prowess. I am sure the domestic defence MRO is going to get a big push in the changed scenario and offer vast opportunities for the MRO sector in India,” said Nath.

Now is the ideal moment to bolster the indigenous MRO, and foreign OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) should seize the opportunity. “Global OEMs looking for organised players to help them maintain and service their equipment and provide quality service to their customers in India find it easy to partner with us because of our world-class facilities and capabilities along with ongoing robust partnerships with some of the major international OEMs for MRO of Indian naval marine and aviation assets. Crown Group is one of the very few companies to have ex-servicemen from Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard, right from the top level to mid and ground level, who bring their years of valuable experience to Crown Group Defence,” said Nath.

Nath’s statement assumes significance as G20 countries look all poised to advance India’s emergence as a hub of defence MRO, creating new opportunities for the leading MRO player like Crown Group, known for its maintenance, repair, and overhaul capabilities and facilities for the whole range of defence equipment.

Crown Group Defence is a partner to, for over 40 years providing support to Marine Engineering, Aerospace Engineering, Military Engineering and Weapon systems to the Indian Navy, Coast Guard, Land and Aviation forces, offers great opportunities to international OEM companies for Indian defence forces collaborations and leverage its facilities and capabilities for setting up defence MRO and manufacturing base in the country in sync with Make in India vision by offering the highest proven standards of integrity, reliability and client satisfaction.

Owing to government’s commitment towards strengthening the defence sector, Nath cited multiple benefits of having a robust defense MRO sector. He said, “We would not only be creating a huge number of job opportunities for our talents at home but would also generate newer avenues for them abroad. We will be able to cut on our foreign exchange outflow, while our defence establishments will have reduced costs, better turnaround time and fewer inventories.”

“Our scope of work includes maintenance, modernization, repair, servicing, design, development, manufacturing and technology partnerships with global original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) providing defence equipment to Indian defence forces – Army, Navy, Air Force,” said the Crown Group President.

Crown Group’s Aerospace division companies, ‘Aviatech Enterprises Private limited’ (AEPL) and ‘Zealtek Enterprises Private Limited’ (ZEPL) have technical collaborations with major OEMs that enable them to provide quality technical services to the aviation sector of the Indian armed forces primarily the Indian Navy and the Indian Air Force. These companies assist the Armed Forces to maintain their aircraft and onboard equipment operational catering to equipment supplied by varied OEMs worldwide.

Additionally, MRO activities contribute to national security by ensuring that the armed forces are always prepared for any contingency, reducing downtime, and increasing operational efficiency, he said. Reflecting further, he said that domestic MRO in the defense sector is a linchpin of military preparedness, serving as a vital component in maintaining our defense capabilities and safeguarding its interests, for optimal utilisation.