Northwest Aerospace News June | July 2022 — Issue No. 27 | Page 49

There are several areas within India ’ s civil aviation sector that are experiencing positive momentum , including airport privatization , greenfield and brownfield airport infrastructure development and related technology needs , expansion of MRO facilities , and pilot and staff training facilities .

APPRENTICESHIP ROI FOR EMPLOYERS WWW . AJACTRAINING . ORG
As India strives to build greenfield and brownfield airports , there will be growing opportunities for U . S . companies in airport planning and development , energy efficient and zero-carbon emissions airports , safety and security products ( including cargo and passenger scanners ), and innovative technologies such as touchless airport and passenger ticketing and baggage management systems .
Though 90 percent of India ’ s MRO activity currently occurs in neighboring countries such as Sri Lanka , Singapore , and Malaysia , the Indian government aims to turn the nation into a global MRO hub valued at $ 2.4 billion by 2028 . To encourage the growth of its MRO market , India ’ s Goods and Services Tax ( GST ) Council has reduced taxes on MRO services from 18 percent to 5 percent and has offered full tax credit benefits on inputs . MRO service providers are also exempt from taxation on airport projects for a period of 10 years as well as from customs and countervailing duties .
India is also working to grow its relatively new unmanned aircraft systems sector . Currently valued at $ 830 million , this market is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate ( CAGR ) of 14.5 percent from the 2021 – 2026 period . Already , unmanned aircraft are being used by governmental and private organizations for a wide variety of applications including vaccine administration and safety and security . Though the Indian government is still in the process of building policies to govern the sale and use of unmanned aircraft , the market is abundant with opportunities for U . S . companies .
JUNE | JULY 2021 ISSUE NO . 27 49