Boeing Expects To Have A Massive Presence In India In The Future

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Brendan Nelson, President of Boeing International, in a conversation with Indian media, has said that India will feature extensively in its business growth in the coming years. A significant amount of Boeing’s revenue last year came from outside of the US, and Boeing feels that India will increasingly contribute to this going forward.

Increasing presence

Boeing feels that its future lies outside the US. Brendan Nelson, Boeing International President, told The Economic Times that India will feature extensively in Boeing’s investment plans and that it will soon have the “largest footprint that Boeing has outside the United States.” He added,

“Boeing now has 5,000 employees in India. Our 300 suppliers, in turn, employ about 13,000 Indians, about a quarter of those in micro and small and medium-sized enterprises. The first country that I have come to since I had the privilege to assume the responsibility of being president of Boeing International is India, and you can expect to see me here quite a bit over the next few years.”

Supply chain issues to continue for now

The global supply chain issues have affected Boeing’s pace of delivering new aircraft, and it expects the problem to resolve in another year or two. Boeing is also looking towards India as an essential part of its global suppliers.

It has 2,200 suppliers in 58 countries, of which 300 are in India. The planemaker has had delivery issues in the last couple of years for various reasons, including certification and supply chain problems. Indian carrier Vistara has had to delay its US flight launch due to a delay in the delivery of its Dreamliners.

Photo:  Anna Zvereva via Wikimedia Commons

Nelson told CNBC TV 18 that many challenges continue to exist for engine manufacturers, chipmakers, and other sectors to meet the demand of plane manufacturers and added,

“We are bringing new suppliers to our supply chain, making sure we deliver when we promised to deliver. The supply chain issues will continue to challenge the industry at least for the next 1-2 years.”

Bullish on India’s growth

Boeing had earlier predicted that Indian airlines would require more than 2,200 new aircraft over the next two decades. India’s swift recovery from the pandemic also has Boeing excited. Air India has been the oldest Boeing customer in India and will likely order hundreds of new jets (both narrowbody and widebody) from the US plane maker as it looks to grow its business.

SpiceJet and Air India Express are also Boeing loyalists, relying on the 737 series of jets for the bulk of their operations. Vistara also operates a handful of Boeing aircraft, and the latest Indian airline to join the Boeing camp is Akasa Air, which has chosen the 737 MAX series for its operational needs.

Source Simple Flying