Bengaluru: Boeing’s supply chain in India is exporting an impressive Rs 10,000 crore worth of aerospace components every year, making the US plane maker the largest foreign manufacturer in the country, Boeing India President Salil Gupte has said.
He dismissed the idea that high-tech aviation manufacturing was not happening in India. “That may have been true 10 years ago, but today, India has an interesting opportunity,” he observed in an interview to NDTV Profit.
Gupte pointed out that Boeing has expanded its operations in India with as many as 5,000 aeronautical engineers working at its 43-acre site in Bengaluru who are mostly looking at domestic work but also supporting some overseas projects.
Boeing also has an extensive supply chain in India, with suppliers in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Gujarat and northern India. “These suppliers export about Rs 10,000 crore worth of aerospace components every year, making us the largest foreign OEM (original equipment manufacturer) in India,” Gupte said on the sidelines of the ‘Aero India 2025’ show here.
He further highlighted that Boeing is working under the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ initiatives in the defence sector.
“A key factor in defence manufacturing is localisation. Any final assembly for a defence contract today requires 50 per cent indigenous content. That’s why we have been investing in localisation efforts,” Gupte explained.
He also underscored the importance of partner companies like US tech giant GE, which is setting up an engine manufacturing unit with Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL).
“GE has a big place in a lot of our platforms for both civil and defence,” Gupte noted.
“For final assembly in India, you need tier-1 suppliers and engine manufacturers already present which is already happening,” he remarked.
Gupte said that Boeing has been in India for eight decades, but over the last 10 years its presence has really started to grow.
Boeing has been actively supporting civil aviation customers, and in defence, it has introduced several key platforms such as the C-17 cargo aircraft, P-8 maritime patrol aircraft, and Apache helicopters.
“The head of the state fleet, where we get to fly the Prime Minister and the President of India, is also a Boeing fleet,” he pointed out.
Boeing is in constant discussions with India’s defence forces regarding their requirements. Six more Apache anti-tank helicopters have to be delivered to the Army, while 22 Apaches have already been supplied to the Air Force.
He also mentioned ongoing discussions about additional reconnaissance aircraft. “There is a requirement for more P-8s, but it is up to the Navy to decide when and how procurement will happen.”
Gupte stressed that Boeing’s defence sales also support interoperability between India and the US in the Indo-Pacific region. “The more US equipment the Indian defence services acquire, the better the interoperability with US assets in the region, ensuring a strong, free Indo-Pacific force,” he pointed out.
Boeing currently has nearly 600 aircraft orders from Indian airlines, including Air India, Akasa, and SpiceJet. These orders include both narrow-body and wide-body aircraft.
He also highlighted that Boeing’s India operations were a win-win for both the US and India.
“Every single employee we have in India and every supplier supports what we do in India and the US. When India orders aeroplanes, those orders support thousands of jobs in the US as well,” Gupte added.
(IANS)
