Abhiram Nair

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By Sangeeta Saxena

Hyderabad. 04 July 2026. At Aeromart Hyderabad, where global aerospace supply chains, OEMs and precision manufacturers converged, Azad Engineering Ltd. stood out as one of India’s growing examples of high-end manufacturing capability. In this conversation with ADI, Abhiram Nair, Assistant General Manager, Azad Engineering Ltd., speaks about the company’s journey from a young Hyderabad-based precision manufacturing enterprise to a listed company supplying critical components to global energy and aerospace majors. From aerofoils and engine parts to defence applications, naval drones, raw-material localisation and future expansion, the interaction reflects how Indian industry is steadily moving from component manufacturing to deeper participation in complete systems and assemblies.

ADU. Abhiram, we are meeting here at Aeromart. What is Azad Engineering showcasing?

Abhiram Nair. Azad Engineering is a precision manufacturing company. We operate across three verticals—energy, aerospace, and oil and gas. The company was started by our Chairman, Mr. Rakesh Chopdar, in 2008, and we became a listed company in 2023. We are Tier-1 suppliers to several leading OEMs. In the energy sector, we work with companies such as GE Vernova, Siemens Energy and Mitsubishi. In aerospace, we work with Boeing, Rolls-Royce, Safran and Pratt & Whitney—essentially all the major engine makers.

Our key products are mainly aerofoils. Since inception, across all three verticals, we have produced about 4.5 million aerofoils. We are currently under qualification for Rolls-Royce for both commercial and defence applications, for Pratt & Whitney on their NPD programmes, and for Safran on their M88 and LEAP engines.

ADU. You are already part of the supply chain of several major global OEMs. Where are your manufacturing facilities located?

Abhiram Nair. We are based out of Hyderabad. We have seven units here. We have one dedicated forge shop, while the other forge shops are integrated with machining units. We are spread over nearly 200,000 square metres across different parts of Hyderabad and have a workforce of about 2,200 employees. We are a young company—just 17 years old—but we have grown rapidly.

ADU. Do you have plans to expand beyond Hyderabad, or will everything remain here?

Abhiram Nair. We do have a couple of sister companies. One is focused on coatings and special processes, and it is based out of Visakhapatnam. We also have another company called Azad Prime, based out of Chennai, where we primarily handle larger fabrications. Chennai was chosen because of its proximity to the port. We have also had good conversations with the Tamil Nadu Government, and we are considering it as a strong option for future expansion. A representative from the Andhra Pradesh Government also met us and shared some proposals. These are under consideration. Azad is a growing company. We are always on our toes. Every six months, something new and big is happening.

ADU. What is the next major step for Azad Engineering?

Abhiram Nair. We have already captured the machining sector and we already have special processes. Our next dependency on the ecosystem is raw material. Our Chairman is working on a project called Azad Super Alloys, where we will work on our own raw material. The idea is to de-risk the ecosystem as much as possible and bring more capability under one roof. This will allow us to cater to the entire value chain more effectively.

ADU. Is there anything else you would like to add that I may not have asked?

Abhiram Nair. I think we have covered the company, our manufacturing lines, Make in India content and expansion plans. We are a good company. We have a great leader and a young, energetic team. We are looking forward to achieving greater heights and supporting the entire ecosystem.

Azad Engineering’s journey reflects the changing face of Indian aerospace manufacturing. From supplying precision aerofoils and critical components to global OEMs to assembling a fully Indian engine for a naval drone, the company represents the growing depth of India’s industrial capability. Its Hyderabad-based facilities, large skilled workforce, global customer base, expansion plans, special processes, and future focus on raw-material localisation through Azad Super Alloys show a company intent on moving up the value chain. As India pushes forward with Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, Azad Engineering is positioning itself not merely as a component manufacturer, but as a trusted partner in the emerging aerospace, defence and energy ecosystem.