BENGALURU — Mahindra Aerostructures has announced that it has secured a manufacturing and supply contract from aviation major Airbus. Under the agreement, the company will produce fuselage skins for Sections 18 and 19, which cover the rear fuselage and tail sections of the Airbus A320neo and A321XLR aircraft.
The components will be manufactured at Mahindra Aerostructures' production facility in Bengaluru. From there, the completed parts will be supplied directly to Airbus' facility located in Augsburg, Germany. Initial engineering activities, including tooling design, process-flow updates, qualification, and inspection, are currently underway, with the first deliveries targeted for 2028.
According to the company, this agreement aligns with its planned strategy to build larger fuselage sections in the near future. The development follows a recently concluded roll-forming contract awarded by Airbus. As part of a multi-year industrialisation roadmap for the programme, Mahindra Aerostructures stated that it will expand its specialised manufacturing capabilities by introducing advanced chemical milling, surface treatment, and stretch-forming production lines.
Vinod Sahay, President of Mahindra Aerospace, Advanced Technologies and Trucks & Buses, noted that manufacturing fuselage skins for the A320 family requires advanced process capabilities and precision at scale. Through targeted investments in specialised technologies and manufacturing infrastructure, the company aims to build critical capabilities domestically to support Airbus' requirements from Bengaluru.
Jurgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director for Airbus India and South Asia, stated that manufacturing complex components for A320neo and A321XLR aircraft directly out of Bengaluru contributes to deepening India's aerospace footprint.
This new contract builds on an existing relationship between Mahindra Aerostructures and Airbus. Previous engagements include contracts to manufacture and assemble main fuselages for the Airbus H125 and H130 helicopters, alongside the supply of various components and sub-assemblies for other Airbus commercial aircraft programmes. The companies stated that the partnership reflects continued investments in advanced manufacturing and supports the development of India as a hub for global aerospace manufacturing.
"This contract win highlights the growing capability of Indian manufacturers to meet the stringent technical and scale requirements of global aerospace leaders like Airbus. Securing long-term manufacturing agreements with multi-year industrialisation roadmaps demonstrates steady progress in developing high-precision engineering infrastructure within the country. For the broader industrial ecosystem, such partnerships validate local investments in specialized technologies and reinforce India's position as a reliable hub in the global supply chain." — Dr. Shishir Gupta, Founder & CEO, StartupLanes
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