By Team ADU
New Delhi. 14 August 2022. Lets take a look at the relationship – 75 years of partnership, 3000 plus employees, 275 plus suppliers, USD 1 Billion sourcing from India, Joint venture with Tata Advanced Systems, Boeing India Engineering & Technology Centres in Bangalore & Chennai – does look impressive. The US aircraft manufacturer reiterated its long standing commitment to Indian defence forces as India turns 75.
As one of the fastest growing economies in the world, India offers tremendous growth and productivity opportunities for the aerospace industry. There is extraordinary potential for the defence trade and partnerships to grow between India and the US. The bilateral defence cooperation had evolved considerably in the last few years, driven by the growing convergence of American and Indian defence interests.
Boeing is accelerating its supply chain, sourcing, manufacturing, research, skill development and engineering involvement in India, forging the way toward building a strong aerospace industry in the country. This is built on the strength of the Indian market. Today, India operates 11 C-17s, 22 AH-64 Apaches (with six more on order), 15 CH-47 Chinooks, 11 P-8Is (with one more on order) and two Head of State aircraft, all Boeing platforms, and this is indeed an impressive statistics in a nation which traditionally had a Russian fleet.
Salil Gupte, president, Boeing India’ reiterated, “As India commemorates its 75th year of Independence, we look back at our own 75-plus years in the country and feel very proud to be part of India’s aerospace and defence journey. Our relationship spans a network of more than 280 Make in India suppliers from whom the company sources manufacturing output worth $1 billion annually, and our JV, Tata Boeing Aerospace Ltd., helping make India an integral part of Boeing’s global supply chain. Our presence in India also includes deep investments beyond manufacturing, in engineering, through 3,500 engineers and technologists at the Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) in Bengaluru and Chennai, and in training and skill development that harness the power of Indian talent to Make in India, and engineer and innovate in India, for India, and for the world. There is only much more to look forward to as we count down to being in India@100.”
Backbone of India’s strategic and theatre transport fleet, its heavy attack and heavy lift helicopter capability, its naval rotary anti-submarine warfare platforms, its long-range maritime patrol aircraft, and its howitzer capability are all US-origin. And major fighter aircraft offerings and Services opportunities worth tens of billions of dollars are now being actively discussed that could further advance the security agenda and realize the value of being a Major Defence Partner.
