Airbus opens largest technology and digital innovation centre outside Europe in Bengaluru
By R Anil Kumar
Bengaluru, March 9. European aerospace major Airbus has inaugurated its largest technology and digital innovation centre outside Europe in Bengaluru, marking a major expansion of the company’s global operations and its engagement with India’s aviation ecosystem.
The new campus, designed to host around 5,000 employees, will function as an integrated hub for engineering, digital transformation, customer services and procurement activities. The facility is also expected to play a central role in Airbus’s ‘Make in India’ strategy by contributing across the entire lifecycle of Airbus aircraft, from design and engineering to support services and advanced technology development.
The centre was inaugurated by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister DK Shivakumar and Minister of Industries and Infrastructure MB Patil. Shivakumar highlighted the importance of nurturing engineering talent to sustain industrial growth, while Patil noted that Karnataka accounts for more than 60 percent of India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing output.
The facility is expected to play a key role in research and development in emerging areas such as sustainable aviation technologies, including work related to sustainable aviation fuel. It will also focus on digital innovation in fields such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and advanced engineering systems.
Catherine Jestin, Executive Vice President for Digital at Airbus, said the new centre underscores Bengaluru’s strategic importance to the company, noting that more than one-third of Airbus’s global digital workforce is now based in the city.
India’s Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu joined the inauguration virtually and described Bengaluru as the heart of India’s aviation ecosystem. He pointed out that key components for the Airbus A321neo are already being produced in India, with Indian engineers increasingly involved in advanced aerospace technologies.
Beyond engineering and digital innovation, the new campus will also house a dedicated customer services unit that will provide global clients with customised support programmes, flight-hour services, maintenance assistance and technical solutions.
The centre will also serve as an important procurement hub as Airbus expands its sourcing from India. Since 2019, the company’s annual procurement from the country has more than tripled – from about $500 million to over $1.5 billion – and Airbus aims to push this figure beyond $2 billion by the end of the decade. More than 100 Indian firms currently supply key components for Airbus programmes, including aircraft doors, flap track beams and helicopter fuselages.
Indian suppliers are also contributing to the company’s final assembly lines for the Airbus C295 being produced in Vadodara and the Airbus H125 helicopter programme near Bengaluru.
The facility will additionally host a local chapter of the Airbus Leadership University, which will offer training and development programmes to prepare future aerospace managers and specialists.
Industry analysts say the new centre could significantly strengthen Airbus’s presence in the Asia-Pacific region while boosting India’s role in the global aerospace supply chain. However, they also note that the company will need to ensure smooth integration of local talent and operations with its global engineering standards as the facility scales up its activities.
