Pratt & Whitney has expanded its footprint in the emerging Indian aviation hub of Bengaluru by opening a new MRO customer support center.
The center will employ around 150 aerospace engineers and experts to provide a wide range of services to its global customers, including airlines, OEMs, MROs, regulatory authorities and small operators. These will include spare part management, engine leasing, engine reliability analysis and contract administration.
Interestingly, this MRO customer support center is an expansion of Pratt & Whitney’s India Digital Capability Center, which was inaugurated in February. That facility will focus on innovation and digital and business transformation for Pratt’s global operations.
The aim of Pratt’s Bengaluru MRO customer support center is to enhance its global customer service ecosystem and operations support for the 68,000 Pratt & Whitney engines currently in service.
Co-located with Pratt’s other Bengaluru operations—including supply chain, engineering and digital transformation—the MRO customer support center could signal the OEM’s intentions to establish a greater aftermarket presence in India. Experts suggest the OEM may eventually establish an MRO facility there as it eyes potential growth in India’s aftermarket demand over the next decade.
Some experts believe the MRO customer support center was driven by Pratt's recent compensation to IndiGo for powder metal issues that grounded some of the airline’s aircraft. Over 70 IndiGo aircraft have been grounded due to Pratt engine issues, with more than 30 on the ground due to a powder metal defect, while the rest are impacted by older issues.
In November 2023, Pratt was also prodded by India’s Directorate General of Civil Aviation to establish a local MRO facility, considering the growing engine issues and no resolution in sight after the bankruptcy of Indian carrier Go First.
Nivine Kallab, vice president of customer programs at Pratt & Whitney Canada, says the new MRO customer support center is part of the OEM’s efforts to leverage existing investments in India. He further stresses the importance of job creation: “We plan to use the regional talent to augment our world-class product and service dependability and customer experience service level,” he says.
Pratt & Whitney has more than 6,000 employees in India spread across parent company RTX and sister company Collins Aerospace. In the past two years, it has invested $40 million in engineering and supply chain operations centers in India, and it has announced intentions to continue contributing to the country’s aerospace ecosystem with more multi-million-dollar investments.
Pratt & Whitney’s other investments in Bengaluru include three research and development centers in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science, Indian Engineering Center, and India Capability Center.
Bengaluru’s choice of location is also considered very strategic, given that Air India has selected Bengaluru as its second aviation hub beside Delhi as it seeks to strengthen operations. Considered the third-busiest airport in India, all Tata Group airlines plan to collaborate with Kempegowda International Airport Bengaluru to enhance international connectivity, operational efficiency and passenger experience over the next five years. Air India is also planning its own MRO facility in Bengaluru.
