Jeh Aerospace, a precision aerospace and defence manufacturer headquartered in the US with manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad, has signed a multi-year, multi-million-dollar agreement with Solestra Group, a North American full-service precision manufacturing company. The deal establishes a dedicated Global Manufacturing Centre (GMC) at Jeh’s Hyderabad facility to serve as an exclusive production cell for Solestra. This partnership represents a shift from traditional arms-length subcontracting toward a deeply integrated manufacturing model that offers the benefits of a joint venture without the associated ownership burdens.
What Is the Global Manufacturing Centre Model?
The Global Manufacturing Centre is not a conventional subcontracting arrangement. Under the traditional model, a supplier receives orders from multiple customers, allocates machine time as needed, and delivers parts without deep integration into the customer’s production system. The GMC model replaces this with a dedicated shop floor where machines, workspace, and workforce are aligned exclusively to a single customer’s programmes, standards, and quality systems. It operates as a true extension of the customer’s own manufacturing operations.
Solestra CEO Joe DeMartino and Vice President and General Manager Rocky Barnhart visited the Hyderabad facility to mark the signing and inauguration of the centre. The GMC will support Solestra’s New Product Introduction (NPI) , increase production capacity, and speed up industrialisation while maintaining a single point of accountability. For Solestra, the model allows its North American operations to focus on advanced manufacturing, assembly, and customer engagement while leveraging India’s cost advantage and manufacturing talent.
The GMC adds high-precision mechanical systems capability to Jeh Aerospace’s existing aero-engine and aerostructure manufacturing operations. Both companies are certified under the AS9100D aerospace quality management standard, the globally recognised benchmark required by major aerospace original equipment manufacturers for their suppliers.
About the Two Companies
Jeh Aerospace
Jeh Aerospace was founded in 2022 by Vishal Sanghavi and Venkatesh Mudragalla, two industry veterans who collectively spent two decades establishing and running aerospace joint ventures in India for global original equipment manufacturers, including Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and the Tata Group. The company is headquartered in the US with advanced manufacturing facilities in Hyderabad that now exceed 250,000 square feet of total capacity.
In November 2025, Jeh Aerospace launched its next-generation Mach 2 manufacturing facility at Horizon Industrial Park in Kothur, Hyderabad. Spanning about 200,000 square feet, Mach 2 is designed as a software-defined, AI-powered factory that integrates autonomous machining, digital twins, and closed-loop quality systems. The company has built an order book exceeding USD 150 million in just 18 months and received USD 11 million in funding from Elevation Capital and General Catalyst.
Solestra Group
Solestra Group, headquartered in Valencia, California, is a full-service precision manufacturing provider serving the aerospace, defence, medical, and high-precision industries. The company unites six specialised businesses across machining, fabrication, and complex assembly through strategic regional hubs across North America. Its portfolio includes Aero Engineering (founded 1948), EFP Group, Johnson Precision Products, Trinity Aerospace, LHM Technologies (Ontario, Canada), and Aerofab Corp.
Solestra serves key defence platforms including the C-130, F-16, F-15, F-35, Apache, and Patriot systems. The group is backed by Emko Capital, a private equity firm focused on building industrial and aerospace platforms across North America.
Significance for India’s Aerospace Ecosystem
The Jeh Aerospace Solestra partnership is significant for several reasons. First, it represents a vote of confidence in India’s ability to deliver flight-critical, high-precision components rather than basic parts. For decades, Indian suppliers were largely seen as sources for low-complexity, build-to-print components. The GMC model, with its dedicated shop floor, digital-thread transparency, and AS9100D certification, signals that Indian manufacturing can now handle sophisticated, safety-critical aerospace work.
Second, the deal aligns with the global trend of friendshoring in aerospace supply chains. Western aerospace OEMs are under immense pressure to diversify production away from traditional hubs, de-risk from geopolitical tensions, and build resilient supply chains. India, with its large skilled workforce, competitive labour costs, and policy support under Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, is emerging as a preferred destination. The global aerospace and defence industry surpassed USD 1 trillion in annual revenue for the first time in 2025, while commercial aircraft backlogs have reached nearly 15,000 units. This demand surge is driving manufacturers to seek new capacity in destinations like India.
Third, the deal strengthens Hyderabad’s position as India’s leading aerospace and defence manufacturing hub. The city already hosts facilities of Boeing, Safran, Lockheed Martin, Tata Boeing Aerospace, and over 1,500 aerospace MSMEs. Telangana recorded a 30% year-on-year growth in the aerospace sector and 100% growth in exports in 2025-26. Hyderabad was ranked the number one aerospace city of the future on cost effectiveness by the Financial Times fDi Intelligence in 2020.
India’s defence production has risen to a record ₹1.27 lakh crore in FY24, up 174% from 2014-15. Defence exports touched ₹23,622 crore in FY25, a 34-fold increase over a decade. The defence budget for FY26-27 stands at ₹7.85 lakh crore. The government has also liberalised FDI in defence, allowing up to 74% under the automatic route, making it easier for foreign companies to partner with Indian manufacturers.
Key Takeaways
- Jeh Aerospace and US-based Solestra Group signed a multi-year, multi-million-dollar agreement to establish a dedicated Global Manufacturing Centre (GMC) at Jeh’s Hyderabad facility.
- The GMC is a dedicated shop floor with machines, space, and workforce aligned exclusively to Solestra’s programmes, operating as an extension of the customer’s own site rather than a subcontracting arrangement.
- Jeh Aerospace was founded in 2022 by Vishal Sanghavi and Venkatesh Mudragalla and has built an order book exceeding USD 150 million.
- Solestra Group serves the aerospace, defence, medical, and high-precision industries with six specialised businesses across North America.
- Both companies hold AS9100D certification, the globally recognised quality management standard for the aerospace industry.
- The partnership reflects the friendshoring trend in global aerospace supply chains and strengthens Hyderabad’s position as India’s leading aerospace manufacturing hub.
