TCS study: AI and digital twins to transform aerospace by 2035

Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) announced its "Future-Ready Skies Study 2025," highlighting that 60% of aerospace leaders believe human expertise will remain crucial in an AI-driven manufacturing future. The study, released on September 10, 2025, indicates that one in three aerospace executives identifies AI for real-time decision-making as the biggest driver of change in aircraft manufacturing by 2035. Nearly two-thirds of respondents are open to adopting agentic AI in their supply chains, though only 6% currently do so, underscoring a significant innovation gap.

The study surveyed over 323 senior aerospace executives, including manufacturers, advanced air mobility (AAM) companies, and maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) providers. Key findings show that 63% of executives are open to agentic AI for supply chain management. On average, respondents anticipate only 40% of their manufacturing operations to be "lights out" (highly automated) within the next 5-7 years, indicating continued human involvement.

Over half (51%) of MRO providers expect a return on investment in advanced technology within five years or sooner, with 64% specifically anticipating ROI from predictive analytics and agentic AI in the same timeframe. Only 5% of MRO executives report their digital MRO strategy is sufficiently scaled for the next industry phase, and 80% foresee negative impacts if their strategies fail to scale in the next three years. The aerospace market is projected to exceed $1 trillion by 2030, with the MRO segment alone expected to reach $137 billion.