Anil Ambani-owned Reliance Infrastructure is stepping up its game in the defence aviation sector signalling a new wave of growth for private players in Indias strategic industries. The company plans to ramp up efforts in aircraft upgrade programs tapping into an estimated Rs 5000 crore opportunity over the next 7 to 10 years. According to a PTI report this strategic move will make Reliance Infrastructure Indias first private sector company to successfully implement a full aircraft upgrade program as a standalone entity without being the original manufacturer. This is a segment that has only been undertaken by public sector units and OEMs as the domain. The PTI report further mentioned that a company source revealed that Reliance Infrastructure has already achieved a key milestone by upgrading 55 Dornier-228 aircraft as part of a contract with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) in partnership with the US-based avionics firm Genesys. Initially awarded a contract for 37 aircraft a follow-on order was given to Reliance for 18 more units after completing this successful project. As per the PTI report sources indicate that the contract value of the Dornier upgrade was approximately Rs 350 crore. The new Dornier fleet is operational with the Indian Air Force the Indian Navy and the Indian Coast Guard. Military aircraft and helicopters have service lives of 30-40 years thus upgrades particularly to avionics mission systems and safety equipment need to be completed in a timely manner. According to industry experts lifecycle costs associated with upgrades and maintenance repair and overhaul (MRO) may represent as much as 200-300 per cent of the a platforms acquisition cost. Globally the military aircraft and helicopter upgrade market is worth over Rs 500000 crore annually and is projected to grow to Rs 700000 crore in the next seven years. With extensive legacy platforms in inventory to draw on India has a significant domestic opportunity especially as the armed forces upgrade their legacy jet fleets.