Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated Boeing’s major investment venture in Bengaluru on January 19, marking the aircraft manufacturing giant’s largest facility outside the USA. The Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center (BIETC), boasting a cutting-edge 43-acre campus with an investment of Rs 1,600 crore ($200 million), is set to be a hub for Indian talent. The state-of-the-art facility aims to catalyse job prospects within the aviation sector with a targeted focus on fostering opportunities for girls and women in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM), according to the aircraft manufacturing giant Boeing India.
The Prime Minister unveiled the Boeing Sukanya Program, designed to facilitate greater female participation in the aviation sector across India. The initiative focuses on offering girls and women opportunities to acquire essential STEM skills and receive training for aviation-related jobs. For young girls, the program will establish STEM Labs at 150 designated locations, fostering an early interest in STEM careers. Additionally, the program will extend scholarships to support women undergoing pilot training.
What is BIETC?
BIETC is Boeing’s new campus in India. According to the government statement, it “aims to be a cornerstone for partnership with the vibrant startup, private and government ecosystem in the country.” Boeing India said that “ this facility will shape the global future of aviation by developing the next generation of aerospace solutions for the world – in both civil and defence markets.”
With the launching of the new plant in Bengaluru, Boeing’s engineering and R&D team has expanded to become the largest outside the United States, surpassing 6,000 employees as of December 2023 in India across its various centres, the company stated in its statement.
Boeing states that its engineering team actively participates in engineering, testing, and research and development on a global scale, harnessing cutting-edge technologies such as Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning, Industrial Internet of Things, Cloud, Model-Based Engineering, and Additive Manufacturing. Their involvement spans structural and systems design, manufacturing support, aircraft testing system development, and the creation of digital solutions aimed at promoting sustainability in aviation.
Boeing is set to collaborate with the Indian armed forces to bolster aircraft demand in the domestic defence sector, contributing to the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat (Self-reliant India). Additionally, the company maintains partnerships with seven incubators, namely, Society for Innovation and Entrepreneurship – IIT Mumbai, Foundation for Innovation and Technology Transfer – IIT Delhi, Innovation and Entrepreneurship Center – IIT Gandhinagar, IIT Madras Incubation Cell, Society for Innovation and Development – IISC Bengaluru, T-Hub Hyderabad, and Technology Business Incubator – KIIT Bhubaneshwar, for the organisation of BUILD in India.
As per Boeing India, the company is dedicated to providing advanced technologies and creating lasting value in the Indian aerospace sector. Boeing has enhanced its supply chain by collaborating with over 300 local companies in India, and it has established a joint venture with Tata Group to produce fuselages for AH-64 Apache helicopters and vertical fin structures for the 737 aircraft family. Boeing’s annual sourcing expenditure from India is around $1 billion.
Ravi Shankar
