The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi inaugurated the new state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru, Karnataka. Built with an investment of Rs 1,600 crores, the 43-acre campus is Boeing’s largest such investment outside the USA. The Prime Minister also launched the Boeing Sukanya Program which aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country’s growing aviation sector.

The Prime Minister took a walkthrough of the Experience Center and interacted with Sukanya beneficiaries.

COO of Boeing Company, Ms Stephanie Pope lauded the Prime Minister’s focus on the growth of the aviation sector in India and his instrumental role in making the Boeing Sukanya Program a reality today. She expressed gratitude for the continued support and looked forward to working together to shape the future of aerospace.  Ms Stephanie said that this new campus is a testament to Boeing’s engineering legacy and it underlines the belief in the availability, depth of talent and capability that exists in India. She elaborated on the scope of the new campus and Boeing’s plan to create an ecosystem that propels India to the forefront of the aerospace industry. Ultimately, Ms Stephanie said that the new Boeing campus will become one of the most cutting-edge examples of the Prime Minister’s self-reliant India initiative or ‘Atmanirbharta’. She credited the Prime Minister for his idea of the Sukanya program and lauded Boeing’s efforts to create and accelerate opportunities in aviation for Indian women. “This program will break barriers and inspire more women to pursue careers in aerospace”, she remarked. She further explained about the plans to provide STEM labs in middle schools. She expressed confidence that Boeing and India’s partnership would shape the future of aviation and make a positive difference for the people of India and around the world.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that Bengaluru is a city which links aspirations to innovations and achievements, and India’s tech potential to global demands. “Boeing’s new technology campus is going to strengthen this belief”, the Prime Minister said, informing that the newly inaugurated campus is Boeing’s largest facility located outside the USA. He underlined that its scale and magnitude will not only strengthen India but also the aviation market of the world.

The Prime Minister said that this facility demonstrates India’s commitment to drive global tech, research & innovation, design and demand. “This strengthens the ‘Make in India-Make for the World’ resolution”, he said. “This campus reinforces the world’s trust in India’s talent”, he added. He expressed the faith that one day, India will design aircraft of the future in this facility.

Recalling the inauguration of Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing factory in Karnataka last year, the Prime Minister said that Boeing’s new facility is a clear indication of Karnataka’s rise as a new aviation hub. He especially congratulated the youth of India who would now have multiple opportunities to acquire new skills in the aviation industry.

The Prime Minister emphasized the government’s efforts to increase women’s participation in every sector and also reiterated India’s push towards women-led development during its G20 Presidency. He said that the government is committed to creating new opportunities for women in the aerospace sector. “Be it fighter pilots or civil aviation, India is leading the world in the number of women pilots”, a proud Prime Minister said informing that 15 percent of India’s pilots are women which is 3 times more than the global average. Speaking about the Boeing Sukanya program, the Prime Minister said that it will give a boost to women’s participation in the aviation sector while helping the poor living in far-flung areas to realize their dreams of becoming a pilot. Under the program, the Prime Minister informed that career coaching and development facilities will be provided in government schools to pursue a career as a pilot.

PM Modi said that the historic success of Chandrayaan has infused scientific temper among the youth of India. Underling India’s status as hub of STEM education, the Prime Minister noted that  girls have taken up STEM subjects in a big way. He said that India has become the world’s third largest aviation domestic market. In a decade, the number of domestic passengers has doubled. He said schemes like UDAN have played a big role in this. This number is going to increase further leading to increased demand. This has resulted in new orders of fleets by India’s airlines giving new impetus to the global aviation sector. “This has happened because India is working while keeping the aspiration and needs of its citizens paramount”, he said.

PM Modi talked about the government’s focus on investment in connectivity infrastructure to overcome the previous handicap of poor connectivity that was preventing India’s potential in performance. He said that India is becoming one of the most well connected markets. He said today India has about 150 operational airports, up from about 70 in 2014. He also said that efficiency of the airports have been enhanced significantly. He also touched upon the increased air cargo capacity leading to overall growth of economy and employment generation.

The Prime Minister highlighted the rapid growth of the air cargo sector due to India’s increased airport capacity. He said that it has made transportation of products from remote areas of India to international markets easier. “The rapidly growing aviation sector is also giving impetus to India’s overall growth and employment generation”, Shri Modi added.

The Prime Minister underlined that the government is continuously taking steps at the policy level to ensure that the growth of its aviation sector continues and accelerates. He said that the center is encouraging state governments to reduce taxes related to aviation fuel and also working to make Aircraft Leasing easier. He also mentioned the International Financial Services Centers Authority established in Gift City to reduce India’s offshore dependence on aircraft leasing and financing. “The aviation sector of the entire country will also benefit from this”, he added.

Recalling his declaration from the Red Fort, ‘Yahi Samay hai, Sahi Samay Hai’, the Prime Minister said that this is also the right time for Boeing and other international companies to link their growth with India’s rapid rise. “Building a developed India in the next 25 years has now become the resolve of 140 crore Indians”, he emphasized. In the last 9 years, the Prime Minister informed, we have lifted approximately 25 crore Indians out of poverty and these crores of Indians are now creating a neo-middle class. He mentioned upward mobility being seen as a trend in every income group in India. Speaking about the expansion of India’s tourism sector, the Prime Minister urged the stakeholders to take maximum advantage of all the new possibilities being created.

PM Modi stressed the need to build an aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in India as he highlighted the potential of India’s strong network of MSMEs, huge talent pool, and stable government in India. “India’s policy approach to encourage ‘Make in India’ is a Win-Win situation for every investor”, the Prime Minister said. Shri Modi expressed confidence that India will not have to wait too long for Boeing’s first fully designed and manufactured aircraft in India. “I am confident that India’s aspirations and Boeing’s expansion will emerge as a strong partnership”, PM Modi concluded.

Governor of Karnataka, Shri Thawar Chand Gehlot, Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri Siddarammiah, COO of Boeing Company, Ms Stephanie Pope and President of Boeing India and South Asia, Mr Salil Gupte were present on the occasion among others.

Background

The Prime Minister inaugurated the new state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru. Built with an investment of Rs. 1,600 crores, the 43-acre campus is Boeing’s largest such investment outside the USA. Boeing’s new campus in India will become a cornerstone for partnership with the vibrant startup, private and government ecosystem in India, and will help develop next-generation products and services for the global aerospace and defence industry.

The Prime Minister also launched the Boeing Sukanya Program which aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country’s growing aviation sector. The program will provide opportunities for girls and women from across India to learn critical skills in the science, technology, engineering and maths (STEM) fields and train for jobs in the aviation sector. For young girls, the program will create STEM Labs at 150 planned locations to help spark interest in STEM careers. The program will also provide scholarships to women who are training to be pilots.

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Ajay KR