Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu held a meeting with leading aerospace and component manufacturers to ramp up domestic production in India.
Mr. Naidu agreed to a proposal from the industry for a detailed aerospace road map for the next 10 to 20 years as well as objectives to be achieved by 2047, when India celebrates 100 years of Independence, according to sources privy to the proceedings.
“The discussion focused on strengthening domestic production, fostering innovation and enhancing India’s global competitiveness in aircraft component manufacturing. Hon’ble Minister’s special emphasis is on supporting the indigenous component manufacturing and MRO industry in the country to encourage aatmanirbharta,” the Ministry posted on X.
The meeting follows instructions from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) for ramping up local manufacturing of aerospace components, it is reliably learnt. India has been pursuing global OEMs to set up supply chains in the country given that IndiGo and Air India have placed some of the highest aircraft orders in the world totalling 1,000 planes. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has also spelt out the ambition of a Made-in-India civil aircraft.
The meeting also included Secretary of the Ministry of Civil Aviation, V. Vualnam alongside stakeholders from Confederation of Indian Industries (CII), Federation of Indian Chambers and Commerce Industry (FICCI), Original Equipment Manufacturers including India President of Boeing Salil Gupta and Airbus officials, as well as MROs, research institutes and officials from NITI Aayog, and Union Commerce Ministry also participated.
Aerospace exports from India are currently valued at under $2 billion.
The meeting also saw the presence of the newly formed Aerospace India Association (AIA), an apex industry body representing India’s aerospace ecosystem, bringing together OEMs, supply chain manufacturers, and government stakeholders.
“The association aims to increase India’s aerospace market share from less than 1% currently to 10%, boost commercial aerospace supply chain exports from under $2 billion to $20 billion, and raise in-country value addition in exports from approximately 30% currently to 60%,” it said in a press statement.
“The aerospace manufacturing industry in the country faces significant challenges. Dependence on imported raw materials, limited intellectual property ownership, and regulatory constraints have restricted the sector’s full potential. AIA is addressing these issues by advocating for indigenous design and manufacturing, strengthening regulatory frameworks to align with global aviation standards, and working closely with government bodies to implement policies that enhance India’s aerospace competitiveness,” S. Dwarakanath, Director General of AIA, was quoted in the statement.
Boeing sources over $1.25 billion worth of exports from India, and 70% of this is sourced from manufacturing, and collaborations with more than 300 supplier partners. This includes the Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) in Hyderabad, which produces aero-structures for Boeing’s AH-64 Apache helicopter, including fuselages, secondary structures, and vertical spar boxes.
Airbus exports $1 billion of goods and services and plans to double this every five years for the next 10 years.
Published – February 07, 2025 10:40 pm IST
