UK Aerospace Firm Sigma Advanced Systems Starts Production In Andhra Pradesh

Amaravati: UK-based Sigma Advanced Systems has commenced production at its dedicated aerospace manufacturing facility at Sri City in Nellore, Andhra Pradesh.Excited over the achievement, the government said that the company moved from ground-breaking to active production in just eight months, with the first batch of precision-machined aerospace components manufactured in India and shipped to Sigma's UK operations for final verification.Sigma specialises in precision engineering, advanced machining and the manufacture of complex aerospace components and assemblies for global aerospace programmes.Its Sri City facility is being developed to replicate the company's established UK manufacturing capabilities and bring a larger share of the aerospace value chain to India.The 75,000 sq ft facility, part of a planned 500,000 sq ft campus, currently has a capacity of 100,000 annual machining hours. This is expected to increase to nearly 300,000 annual machining hours as the facility expands.'Once the planned expansion is completed, around 70% of the manufacturing process is expected to be undertaken in India, significantly increasing the share of value addition taking place at Sri City,' said the government.The facility has also completed the initial stages of the source-change approval process with Rolls-Royce Aerospace, marking an important step in its integration into demanding global aerospace supply chains and demonstrating progress towards meeting stringent industry quality and manufacturing standards.The remaining portion of the Sri City campus is expected to become operational over the next 12 months, creating additional capacity for aerospace-critical manufacturing and future expansion."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," said Sunil Kalidindi, CEO and Executive Director, Sigma Advanced Systems.Kalidindi said the transition from a greenfield project to production in eight months represented an important milestone in Sigma's evolution as a global aerospace manufacturing partner.''Sri City was selected for its industrial infrastructure, connectivity and ability to support long-term manufacturing scale. Its access to four major ports also provides logistical advantages for export-orientated aerospace production", state government added.Beyond manufacturing, Sigma plans to build specialised capabilities through on-campus training and workforce development, helping strengthen Andhra Pradesh's talent pool in precision engineering, advanced machining and aerospace manufacturing.The commencement of production marks a significant step in Andhra Pradesh's efforts to attract high-value, technology-intensive and export-orientated manufacturing, while strengthening the state's integration with global aerospace supply chains and further positioning Sri City as a key destination for advanced manufacturing in India.