 "Prime Minister Narendra Modi")
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday expressed the faith that one day, India will design aircraft of the future in the Boeing facility in the country. Modi made these comments after inaugurating the U.S. aerospace giant Boeing's global engineering and technology centre campus in Bengaluru. The new state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus has been built with an investment of Rs 1,600 crore and is spread across 43 acres. The campus is Boeing’s largest such investment outside the U.S.
“This campus reinforces the world's trust in India’s talent,” said Modi. “One day, India will design aircraft of the future in this facility.”
Modi stressed the need to build an aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in India as he highlighted the potential of India’s strong network of MSMEs (micro, small and medium enterprises), huge talent pool, and stable government in India.
Siddaramaiah, Chief Minister of Karnataka and who is from the Congress party was also present there along with Thaawar Chand Gehlot, Governor of Karnataka, and R. Ashoka, Leader of the Opposition – Karnataka Legislative Assembly, Government of Karnataka.
“India’s policy approach to encourage ‘Make in India’ is a Win-Win situation for every investor,” said Modi, who belongs to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. The country is gearing up for general elections this year.
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He 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,” said Modi.
Modi also 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 the efficiency of the airports has been enhanced significantly.
He also touched upon the increased air cargo capacity leading to the overall growth of the economy and employment generation. This has also made the transportation of products from remote areas of India to international markets easier.
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.
Modi 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 centre 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, Modi 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 said.
He also said that Boeing’s new facility is a clear indication of Karnataka’s rise as a new aviation hub.
