Boeing India – Salil Gupte, president
The pandemic has dealt a big blow to the aviation and defence industry. It will take about three years for travel to return to 2019 levels, and a few years beyond that for the industry to return to long-term trend growth. The aviation industry is the lifeblood of commerce, and one continues to be optimistic of its recovery.
As air travel resumes, crew and passenger health and safety are priority. Stakeholders will have to build multiple layers of protection to minimize health risks for passengers and crew.
Boeing is supporting its global suppliers, and their stability remains a key watch item. The industry will look for modernisation and digital advances to provide sustainable solutions that are data-driven and cost-efficient. Investing in people and building capabilities is key.
As a company with over seven decades in India, Boeing has supported the development of indigenous aerospace and defence capabilities. It has invested in partnerships in multiple areas of skilling, R&D, and manufacturing.
This relationship has grown and the focus has moved to supply chain management. Today, the sourcing from India stands at $1 billion a year from a wide network of 250 suppliers who manufacture critical systems and components for some of Boeing’s most advanced products.
