Hyderabad has once again opened its doors to the world’s aerospace and defence industry. The second edition of Aeromart Hyderabad 2026 kicked off as a three-day B2B convention bringing together over 500 companies from 25 countries, 1,200 delegates, and more than 8,000 pre-scheduled business meetings. The event, organised by BCI Aerospace in partnership with the Government of Telangana, has grown nearly twofold since its first edition just two years ago.
A Platform Built for Real Business, Not Just Display
Unlike a typical trade expo, Aeromart Hyderabad is structured entirely around supplier-buyer matchmaking. Stefan Kaste, CEO of BCI Aerospace, explained that the event runs on one simple philosophy: direct B2B meetings between buyers and suppliers focused on innovation, production, and supply chain collaboration. BCI organises more than 20 such aerospace events worldwide, spanning Europe, the US, Canada, and Japan, and now India.
Kaste framed Hyderabad’s selection as deliberate. India, he said, no longer wants to simply buy aircraft — it wants to build them. With the country positioned as the third-largest aviation market in the world and over 500 million passengers expected to travel by air in the coming years, every aircraft order translates into thousands of components that need a manufacturing home. He described India’s “Make in India” push not as protectionism but as an invitation for co-development, joint ventures, and technology partnerships across the global supply chain.
Airbus Doubles Down on India as a Sourcing Base
Andrea Schwab, Head of Regional Procurement for Airbus India and South Asia, laid out the scale of opportunity ahead. Airbus projects global air travel will grow 3.6% annually over the next two decades, nearly doubling the worldwide commercial fleet from 25,000 to 49,000 aircraft. India’s domestic aviation growth is expected to outpace that significantly, at nearly 8.9% a year, with the country needing more than 3,200 new aircraft over the same period.
Schwab pointed to Airbus’s certified supplier base in India growing from 88 in 2020 to 170 today, with sourcing spend crossing $1.6 billion and targeted to reach $2 billion before the decade ends. He also highlighted Airbus’s partnership with Tata Advanced Systems on the C295 programme, the Vadodara final assembly line, and the H125 helicopter assembly facility, alongside plans to expand India’s role in composite manufacturing, aerostructures, and aerospace-grade materials.
Italy and France Strengthen Industrial Ties
The Consul General of Italy, John Domenico Milano, led a delegation of nine Italian companies — including Leonardo, Brayton, Chem, and Zoppas Industries — underscoring Italy’s view of India as a long-term industrial partner rather than just a market. He pointed to the recent elevation of Italy-India relations to a special strategic partnership and a shared target of exceeding €20 billion in bilateral trade by 2029.
France’s representatives highlighted Safran’s major MRO investment in Hyderabad, capable of servicing up to 300 LEAP engines annually alongside Rafale engine support, calling it a symbol of the deepening France-India aerospace relationship that now spans more than 50 years through Airbus alone.
India’s Defence and Space Sector Sees Record Growth
A member of India’s National Security Advisory Board and former DRDO Chairman shared striking figures on the pace of India’s defence expansion. The national defence budget has crossed ₹7.85 lakh crore, up 15% year-on-year, with indigenous manufacturing rising from ₹1.25 lakh crore to ₹1.58 lakh crore and projected to touch ₹3 lakh crore within three years. Defence exports jumped from ₹23,666 crore to ₹38,454 crore in a single year, with ₹50,000 crore expected next.
He also noted India’s startup ecosystem has expanded from 458 startups in 2016 to more than 235,000 today, with a growing share entering aerospace, space, and advanced materials manufacturing — sectors where Hyderabad’s DRDO laboratories and over 1,000 resident defence and aerospace companies give the city a distinct advantage.
Telangana’s Aerospace Ecosystem: From MSMEs to MROs
Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy speaking on the state’s aerospace push noted that Hyderabad is home to more than 1,500 specialised MSMEs and precision engineering suppliers serving the aerospace, defence, and space sectors. The state has attracted global names producing components for some of the world’s leading aircraft programmes, including Tata Sikorsky’s presidential helicopter cabins, Boeing’s Apache fuselages, and Lockheed Martin’s F-16 wing assemblies, alongside MRO operations run by Safran, GE Aviation, and Honeywell.
Recent milestones cited include the groundbreaking of Spain’s ITP Aero facility, the inauguration of Canada’s first aerospace facility in Telangana at GMR Aerospace Park, and plans for new airfields in Warangal, Adilabad, and Kothagudem to support future MRO and aviation infrastructure. The state’s aerospace and defence sector has reportedly posted 30% year-on-year growth, with exports surging 103% last year alone, overtaking pharmaceuticals as a leading export category for the first time.
Why Aeromart Hyderabad 2026 Matters
Aeromart Hyderabad 2026 reflects a broader shift in how India is positioned within the global aerospace supply chain — from a services and components hub to a strategic co-development partner. With backing from major OEMs like Airbus, growing European industrial delegations, and aggressive state-level investment in infrastructure and MSME capability, Hyderabad’s claim to being India’s aerospace and defence capital looks increasingly well-founded.
For MSMEs, suppliers, and global aerospace players alike, the event’s structured B2B matchmaking model offers a rare chance to convert conversations into contracts — a theme echoed throughout the inaugural session: build together, not just exhibit together.
Aeromart Hyderabad 2026 runs over three days, bringing together global OEMs, tier-1 suppliers, and MSMEs across the aerospace, defence, and space sectors.
Know More : https://hyderabad.bciaerospace.com/
