Pratt & Whitney has joined the list of global OEMs expanding its presence on Indian soil with the opening of a new R&D center in Bengaluru.
The U.S. engine-maker has inaugurated its new India Digital Capability Center (IDCC), co-located with Pratt & Whitney's engineering and supply chain operations centres along with other RTX businesses in India like Collins Aerospace and RTX Enterprise services.
According to Pratt, the new Bengaluru center will focus on accelerating innovations along with driving digital and business transformations for Pratt & Whitney on a global scale.
The IDCC comes with multi-million-dollar investment and a focus on delivering multiple digital technology capabilities across various priority areas of Pratt & Whitney's digital transformation.
Stressing the need and importance of digital technology, Rahul Dharni, vice president and global chief information officer at Pratt & Whitney, throws light on the strategic importance of this facility. “The IDCC will allow us to leverage India's aviation and technology talent and accelerate our digital transformation,” Dharni adds.
The company has already initiated its recruitment process for the IDCC with the first tranche of employees signed and sealed. Pratt expects to recruit another 300 employees by 2027.
The engine manufacturer joins the likes of Safran, which has broken ground ground on a new Leap engine MRO facility in Hyderabad scheduled for 2025. Airframe OEM Boeing has also spread its roots with its largest facility outside the U.S. with an investment of INR 1,600 crore for a site also in Bengaluru in addition to setting up an engineering spares warehouse in Uttar Pradesh.
Pratt & Whitney is rapidly spreading its presence in India with $40 million invested in engineering and supply chain operations centers in the past two years.
The company has sourced nearly $55 million in the past decade from Indian aerospace suppliers and more than $500 million in engineering services over the past two decades. Pratt & Whitney has been making the rounds in the news lately with the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) in India urging Pratt to establish an MRO facility in the country due to ongoing engine issues. Meanwhile, approximately 164 aircraft are grounded in India owing to a lack of spares by engine suppliers.
As of now, Pratt & Whitney is mulling the idea of a full-fledged MRO facility in India depending on factors such as making a business case, competitive labor and the import of parts.
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