Airbus Board To Hold Annual Strategy Meet In Delhi, To Meet Top Indian Officials
Traditionally, such board meetings are held in Europe or in countries where Airbus already has an established manufacturing presence.
Airbus, Europe's largest aerospace group, is reportedly set to hold its annual strategy meet in Delhi this week for the first time. According to The Economic Times, Airbus directors will meet top Indian government officials, as well as executives from IndiGo and Air India — its two largest customers in the country.
The visit comes against the backdrop of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Make in India campaign, which is pushing to global aerospace firms to move beyond selling into India and begin manufacturing in the country.
With Indian carriers having ordered over 1,500 aircraft, the pressure is mounting on Airbus to expand its local footprint.
Traditionally, such board meetings are held in Europe or in countries where Airbus already has an established manufacturing presence, such as China, where it operates a final assembly line for A320 jets. The last such meeting outside Europe was held in China in 2018.
"We continue to further integrate India into our global value chain. This visit will serve to reinforce our commitment, cementing Airbus’ role as a reliable partner of India," an Airbus spokesperson quoted in the report.
During the visit, the board will tour suppliers including Tata Advanced Systems in Hyderabad and Dynamatic Technologies in Karnataka, which are already part of Airbus’ global Tier 1 supply network.
At present, Airbus currently sources $1.4 billion worth of components annually from over 40 Indian suppliers, a figure it aims to push to $2 billion by 2030, as per Economic Times report.
On Aug. 6, Airbus appointed Jürgen Westermeier as the President and Managing Director for India and South Asia. "'Jürgen will also help advance Airbus’ commitment to 'Make in India' by supporting the company’s campaigns aligned to this vision," the company said in an official release.
In India, Airbus directly employs more than 3,600 people and indirectly supports around 15,000 people in the supply chain, as reported by PTI. The company has tripled its sourcing from India to $1.48 billion last year from $500 million in 2019.
In partnership with Tata, Airbus is setting up two Final Assembly Lines (FALs) in India. One for the C-295 military transport aircraft and another for H125 helicopters. Additionally, the company is to deliver the world's largest compact antenna testing facility to the ISRO Space Center in Bengaluru.
