Airbus board members conclude 4-day visit to India

New Delhi, Oct 2 (PTI) Airbus' board members on Thursday concluded their four-day visit to India, which is a key market for the aerospace major, according to an official.

During their visit, which started on September 29, the board members also held their first meeting in India since starting operations in the country more than six decades ago. They also had various other engagements.

Airbus board Chairman Rene Obermann also met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in the national capital, the official said.

The board members visited Tata Advanced Systems Ltd's (TASL) component manufacturing facility in Hyderabad and also its supplier Dynamatic Technologies' facility in Bengaluru.

There were also meetings with Civil Aviation Minister K Rammohan Naidu and Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal.

In a post on X on Thursday, Goyal said he held discussions with Airbus board members, led by their Chairman Rene Obermann, on investments and other issues.

"Also, encouraged their plans to further deepen collaboration and increase investments in India, a testament to the strength and potential of India's aerospace sector," he said.

On September 30, Airbus and Air India announced the establishment of a joint venture training facility in Haryana to train pilots for A320 and A350 family aircraft, with a planned investment of over Rs 1,000 crore for simulators.

On September 25, an Airbus spokesperson said the board of directors' visit to India is a significant moment and that the country is a critical hub for its global operations.

"We have already crossed the milestone of sourcing over USD 1.4 billion in components and services annually. We are on track to significantly increase that figure, as we continue to further integrate India into our global value chain," the spokesperson had said in a statement.

The spokesperson had also said that Airbus' investments in India are deepening across the board, from growing engineering and digital centres in Bengaluru, which are integral to its worldwide operations, to expanding its industrial footprint.

Airbus, which has a significant presence in India's civil aviation and defence segments, is setting up two Final Assembly Lines for the H125 helicopters as well as the C295 military aircraft. Both FALs are being set up with the TASL.

The FAL for H125 is being set up at Vemagal in Karnataka, and the FAL for C295 is being established at Vadodara in Gujarat.

Among others, IndiGo and Air India together have placed orders for more than 1,000 planes with Airbus. PTI RAM BAL BAL