Sigma Advanced Systems has commenced production at its dedicated aerospace manufacturing facility in Sri City, Andhra Pradesh, marking the transition of the project from construction to active manufacturing within eight months of groundbreaking. The company has manufactured and shipped its first batch of precision-machined aerospace components to Sigma UK, where they are undergoing final verification ahead of formal delivery to the customer. The Sri City operation has also completed the initial stages of the source-change approval process with Rolls-Royce Aerospace.
The aerospace facility is being developed as part of a larger 500,000 sq ft campus at Sri City. Approximately 75,000 sq ft has been brought into operation in the first phase, providing annual production capacity of around 100,000 machining hours. The first facility is planned to scale to nearly 300,000 annual machining hours.
Sigma is developing the Sri City operation to progressively replicate its established aerospace manufacturing capabilities in the United Kingdom. The remaining campus is expected to become operational over the next 12 months, adding further manufacturing capacity and aerospace-critical processes. Once the planned capabilities are fully operational, approximately 70% of the manufacturing process is expected to be undertaken in India.
Sunil Kalidindi, Chief Executive Officer and Executive Director of Sigma Advanced Systems, said, “Sri City is an important milestone in Sigma’s evolution as a global aerospace manufacturing partner. In just eight months, we have taken a greenfield facility from groundbreaking to production and begun manufacturing aerospace components in India to the standards required by global aerospace programmes.” “Our objective is not simply to add machining capacity in India, but to replicate the manufacturing capabilities we have in the UK and progressively bring a larger part of the aerospace manufacturing value chain into India,” he added.
The company said the Sri City facility will form an important part of its global manufacturing platform as production capacity expands. The campus has also been designed to support future growth and potential acquisitions. Sri City was selected for its access to international logistics infrastructure and major ports, supporting the export-oriented nature of the operation. Sigma also plans to develop specialised aerospace manufacturing skills through on-campus training and capability development.
Over the next two to three years, the Sri City operation is expected to employ more than 500 people across precision manufacturing, complex fabrications, specialised welding, engineering and aerospace process capabilities.The facility forms part of Sigma’s strategy to establish a multi-site aerospace manufacturing footprint across India and the UK. Through its UK subsidiaries, Nasmyth and Bromford, Sigma has established a presence in the global aerospace supply chain.With production underway, Sigma will continue expanding the Sri City facility, commissioning additional aerospace-critical processes, progressing NADCAP accreditation and increasing the proportion of manufacturing undertaken in India.
