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 The close relationship between Boeing and India goes back over 60 years when India entered the jet age on the wings of Boeing commercial jetliners.
Boeing jets continue to be the mainstay of the country’s domestic and intercontinental commercial fleets. New opportunities for partnership have also emerged in the area of defense. In January 2009, the Government of India selected the P-81 to fulfill its long range maritime requirements. In March 2009, Boeing opened the Boeing Research and Technology center in Bangalore to advance aerospace innovation.
Boeing is also focused on long term strategic partnerships and on creating sustainable value in the Indian aerospace sector. Boeing has developed important relationships with suppliers in India and is actively pursuing technical and business partnerships with Indian companies and institutions.
Boeing is uniquely positioned for growth
in the burgeoning aircraft services and
support market.
“For us to stay at the forefront of
aerospace, we constantly search for new
frontiers to explore - and an even more
exciting future.” says Keskar.
Boeing is continually exploring new
business and investment opportunities,
as well as potential research and
development partnerships in India.
Boeing believes that ‘Productivity’ can
be a strategic discriminator to ensure
global leadership in the aerospace
industry, as it attracts investors, provides
value to customers and creates
opportunities for growth. Boeing values
the productivity opportunities that Indian
partners can bring while leveraging the
uniquely comprehensive capabilities of
the whole Boeing enterprise.
“India offers a unique opportunity for
Boeing. We have a huge civil aviation and
defense market in India however we are
also excited with the huge potential the
Indian aerospace industry represents. We
are partnering closely with Indian industry
to grow our supply chain,” said Keskar.
Since 1997, Boeing has worked with
India’s premier software development
companies, including HCL, Infosys
and Tata Consultancy Services (TCS)
on numerous information technology
projects including systems reengineering
and development, web enabling,
e-business applications and long-term
application maintenance. In 2005, Boeing
began using engineers from Infosys and
TCS on a variety of knowledge-based
engineering and data analysis projects.
It has also contracted for engineering
services with TCS and Infosys to support
aircraft design activity.
Boeing’s relationship with Hindustan
Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) began in 1991
with HAL becoming the single source
producer of 757 Over Wing Exit Doors.
HAL is currently contracted to
manufacture the 777 Gear Uplock Box
and the F/A-18 Gun Bay Door with more
projects to follow in 2010 as part of the
$1 billion MOU signed between Boeing
and HAL in 2007.
On Oct 22, 2009, HAL signed a deal
with Boeing to manufacture Boeing’s 777
flaperon. Boeing has also contracted with
Tatas to manufacture 787 Floor Beams
at a new facility in Nagpur.
Companies like BEL will play a large
roll in Boeing’s industrial strategy in 2009
and beyond. Boeing is also looking at
ways to partner with numerous Small and
Medium Enterprises throughout India.
Boeing in association with Air India is
also working towards supporting India’s
aviation infrastructure through building
a green field MRO in Nagpur.
In addition to direct work placement,
Boeing collaborates with Indian industrial
partners on Lean manufacturing
techniques and Boeing’s Program
Management Best Practices as part of its
drive to bring the best of Boeing to India
and the best of India to Boeing.
“Boeing is defined by its technological
edge,” says Keskar.
“Working with India’s technology
leaders helps Boeing assimilate new
ideas and innovative processes into
our products and programs. This also
is good for India because it helps grow
the capabilities of the Indian R&D
community to meet the emerging needs
in country.”
Boeing’s Research and Technology
Centre is another strategic milestone in
Boeing’s long term relationship with India.
This centre will help sustain the company’s
competitive technological edge by
advancing innovation, while enhancing
India’s aerospace capabilities.
This centre will carry out continued
collaboration with Indian R&D
organizations, including government
agencies and private sector R&D providers,
universities and other companies.
Boeing’s research in India will break
new ground in aero structures, materials
and network systems with a team of senior
researchers, scientists and engineers.
This is Boeing’s third advanced
research centre outside the U.S., the
others being in Europe and Australia.
The Boeing Research & Technology-India
centre will build upon an already solid
foundation of collaborative research
projects in India. For example, since
2007, Boeing has been working together
with the Indian Institute of Science
and two leading Indian information
technology companies, Wipro and
HCL, as part of the Aerospace Network
Research Consortium.
This is India’s first public-private
aerospace research consortium and
it is devoted to emerging network
technologies and concepts.
Boeing is the world’s leading aerospace
company and the largest manufacturer of
commercial jetliners and military aircraft
combined.
Through its Boeing Research &
Technology organization, the company
conducts its own research and
development and also works with top
government, private and university
research centers, and companies
throughout the world to find the most
innovative and affordable technology
solutions for aerospace applications.
In 2005, Boeing entered a research
partnership with the Indian Institute of
Science (IISc), Bangalore.
The Boeing-IISc partnership focuses on
research in nanotechnologies, structural
alloys, composites, smart materials
and structures, process modeling and
simulation, manufacturing technologies,
prototyping through substructure
fabrication and testing. The strategic
alliance with the IISc—the first of its
kind at Boeing in the area of materials
science—will spur aerospace innovation
and contribute to the advancement of
Boeing’s aircraft design capabilities.
Boeing has also reached out to
four other Indian universities to
explore opportunities in research and
development. These universities are the
Indian Institute of Technology (Chennai),
Indian Institute of Technology (Kanpur),
Indian Institute of Technology (Kharagpur)
and Indian Institute of Technology
(Mumbai).
The company’s long term strategy
is to closely partner with India through
investment of resources in manufacturing,
engineering, research and technology
and infrastructure. This partnership has
the potential of generating a strong
future for India’s aerospace industry.
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