Prime Minister Narendra Modi addresses the gathering during the inauguration of Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC), in Bengaluru.
Credit: PTI Photo
Karnataka is evolving into a major aviation hub due to the many aerospace manufacturing and research facilities being built in the state, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday, as he inaugurated the Boeing India Engineering & Technology Centre (BIETC) in Bengaluru.
“It is a big day for the residents of Karnataka,” Modi said, lauding the state. “Last year, Asia’s biggest helicopter manufacturing facility was inaugurated in Karnataka. Now, they are also getting this global technology campus, which shows that Karnataka is evolving into a major aviation hub,” he said.
Boeing has invested Rs 1,600 crore in the 43-acre campus — the company’s largest facility outside the US — located in the city’s Aerospace Park.
Modi said the facility will serve as a hub for innovation and advancements in the aviation sector and will also strengthen Bengaluru’s identity as a technology hub.
“Bengaluru is a city that connects aspirations with innovation and achievement. Bengaluru connects India’s technological capability with global demand,” he said. “One day, India will design aircraft of the future in this facility,” Modi added.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah echoed Modi’s remarks. “This occasion adds yet another feather to the illustrious cap of Karnataka, a state that has consistently stood at the forefront of technological advancement in India,” he said.
“I am particularly pleased that Boeing has chosen to establish this expansive facility near the international airport, an emerging hub for numerous future developments,” Siddaramaiah said.
Siddaramaiah said “Karnataka has proudly held the mantle of being the aerospace hub of the country, commanding over 65% of aerospace and defence exports”.
Modi urged for speeding up the cultivation of a domestic aircraft manufacturing ecosystem.
“We have a huge network of MSMEs, talent pool, a stable government and a strong push for the Make-in-India policy,” he said. “This makes it a win-win situation for all the sectors. I am hopeful that aircraft manufacturers no longer need to wait for more time to build India’s first fully designed and manufactured aircraft.” (Modi meant commercial aircraft since India already designs and makes helicopters and military aircraft).
To make sure that opportunities offered by the aviation industry are fully capitalised, Modi said the government is taking constant proactive steps on the policy-side. “We are urging state governments to lower the tax on aviation turbine fuel and trying to ease the process of aircraft leasing while making sure offshore dependence for aircraft leasing and financing is minimised,” Modi said.
Noting that the country is now the world’s third largest domestic aviation market due to improved connectivity, airport efficiency and manufacturing capabilities, Modi urged international companies and stakeholders in the sector to invest in India.
Modi also launched Boeing’s Sukanya programme on Friday, which aims to impart science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) knowledge to schools across the country in an effort to aid more women in entering the aviation industry.
The programme will create STEM labs at 150 locations and provide scholarships to women training to become pilots.