• Innovating for India’s Defence Readiness
  • A Military MRO’s Journey to Shape India’s Defence Landscape

Mumbai. 15 January 2025. In a world of rapidly evolving defence technologies and increasing demands for self-reliance, Max Aerospace has stood as a pillar of innovation and excellence in India’s aviation and military maintenance sectors. Since its inception in 1994, the company has been instrumental in supporting the Indian Armed Forces, delivering cutting-edge MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul) solutions and indigenous technologies.

In this exclusive interview with Bharat Malkani, Chairman and Managing Director of Max Aerospace, Aviation & Defence Universe (ADU) delves into the company’s groundbreaking contributions, its alignment with India’s defence modernisation goals, and its unwavering commitment to initiatives like Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat. He sheds light on the challenges faced by the military MRO sector, the company’s sustainability initiatives and its vision for the future of defence aviation in India.

ADU. Can you provide an overview of Max Military MRO and its key milestones since its inception?

Bharat Malkani. Max Aerospace is India’s leading Aircraft MRO and Modification company operating since 1994. The company has delivered several firsts to the Indian Government, these include multiple EW systems on numerous platforms. The company has inhouse capability for design, manufacture, installation and testing of the systems it provides to the Indian Government and each program has been won by being globally competitive.

ADU. What is the vision behind Max Military MRO and how does it align with India’s defence modernization goals?

Bharat Malkani. Max Aerospace was created with a single vision: to bring Air Sovereignty to the India. The organization is built on strong values of integrity, hard work and strong technical fundamentals. To achieve this vision, the company has invested heavily in world class infrastructure as well as its people.

ADU. Max Military MRO plays a vital role in maintaining defence equipment. Could you elaborate on your contributions to the Indian Armed Forces, particularly the Indian Air Force?

Bharat Malkani. Max Aerospace has been maintaining IAF equipment since the Kargil war, when it was called upon to deliver on the challenges being faced by the IAF for readiness of it’s combat Aircraft. Till date the company has delivered over 200 Aircraft for the Indian Government with a combination of MRO as well as Modifications. The IP of all these designs is exclusive to Max Aerospace.

ADU. How has your company supported the Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-Reliant India) initiatives in the defence sector?

Bharat Malkani. When ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ was not a term. When ‘Make in India’ was not a requirement. When ‘indigenous content’ was not mandatory, Max Aerospace was delivering Indian designed, manufactured products to the IAF!

ADU. What are the biggest challenges faced by the military MRO sector in India, and how does Max Military MRO address them?

Bharat Malkani. Over dependence by the Government on the DPSU’s continue to be the biggest challenge that is faced by Indian companies. We address them by being more efficient and by offering cutting edge technologies to our customers. With rapidly evolving technology, how does Max Military MRO keep up with innovations such as predictive maintenance, AI-driven diagnostics, and the use of drones in MRO?

Max Aerospace spends a fair percentage of its profits on innovation and new technologies and leads the current competitive environment in India. As an example, Max Aerospace took a license to manufacture UAV (also called Drones today) as far back as 2006 when the concept was unheard of in India.

ADU. Can you highlight any recent partnerships or collaborations with OEMs, global MRO companies, or technology providers?

Bharat Malkani. Max Aerospace has been working with all global OEM’s since over 30 years. We will be making an announcement of a new partnership in the third quarter of 2025 which would be a game changer for India.

ADU. What are your capabilities in handling modern and legacy aircraft maintenance? How do you balance these diverse requirements?

Bharat Malkani. We handle over 15 types of aircraft with one goal in mind. To provide the best quality of work and the highest standards of maintenance notwithstanding the age of the aircraft. Our customers return

ADU. Is there a specific area, such as avionics or engine maintenance, where Max Military MRO specializes or plans to enhance its capabilities?

Bharat Malkani. We specialize in any program we undertake as a corporate philosophy. We are pursuing multiple technologies currently to enhance our capabilities.

ADU. Are there plans to cater to international defence clients or enter new markets beyond India?

Bharat Malkani. Max Aerospace had been performing similar tasks for friendly nations with the support of the Indian government for over two decades already.

ADU. How do you see the Indian defence MRO sector evolving in the next 5–10 years, and what role do you envision for Max Military MRO in shaping this future?

Bharat Malkani. We see growth for Military MRO. We are not still convinced that this growth will benefit Indian industry as we have allowed far too much FDI into Indian defence and strategic industries. A limitation of 49% in Aerospace and Defence is in our opinion mandatory to allow Indian industry to at least ‘own’ the domestic market.

ADU. Sustainability is a growing focus across industries. How does Max Military MRO incorporate environmentally friendly practices into its operations? 

Bharat Malkani. Max Aerospace takes sustainability very seriously. We have incorporated rainwater harvesting, use of low energy systems, use of recycled materials and similar measures in all our projects. Having said that, our biggest program is the renewal of decimated lands in the western ghats where we have planted over 2000 trees and sustained then without fertilizers or pesticides in cooperation with local villagers.

ADU. What initiatives has your company taken to train and upskill personnel in the specialized field of military MRO?

Bharat Malkani. Max Aerospace conducts over 20 different trainings annually for our team. We have a dedicated training department to ensure that we continue to remain relevant and knowledgeable about all aspects of our work.

ADU. As the CMD, what have been your key learnings from leading Max Military MRO?

Bharat Malkani. Humility, Honesty and Hard work has become my 3H mantra and learning having dealt with the finest of the finest people that I have had the good fortune to teach and guide me over this 30-year journey.

ADU. What advice would you give to aspiring entrepreneurs looking to enter India’s defence MRO sector?

Bharat Malkani. First evaluate why you want to enter any field that deals with Defence? This business is built exclusively on warrior passion. It is not a pot of gold, and neither is this easy. If you are willing to do whatever it takes to ensure that your country is secure at a great personal sacrifice, only then you are qualified to work in this field.

ADU. Finally, how do you envision Max Military MRO contributing to India’s defence readiness in the coming years?

Bharat Malkani. Max Aerospace will be the leading MRO and Defence manufacturing company in India in the next 5 years in the Aviation industry and expect to become India’s largest exporter of ultra-high technology defence products.

Max Aerospace has consistently exemplified the values of integrity, innovation, and dedication to India’s defence needs. From playing a pivotal role during the Kargil war to leading advancements in military MRO and indigenous defence manufacturing, the company continues to shape the future of India’s aviation sector. Under the visionary leadership of Bharat Malkani, Max Aerospace is set to expand its capabilities, explore new global markets, and contribute significantly to India’s defence readiness in the years ahead.

With a steadfast commitment to sustainability, upskilling personnel, and fostering innovation, Max Military MRO is poised to remain at the forefront of India’s defence modernisation journey. As the company looks ahead, its focus on empowering the nation through cutting-edge technologies and self-reliance reflects the true spirit of Atmanirbhar Bharat.

As told to Sangeeta Saxena