BS People: Pratyush Kumar

New Boeing India head to focus on defence, aerospace

Boeing India has appointed Pratyush Kumar as its new president. Kumar took over the reins of the aircraft maker from Dinesh Keskar last week.

As the company’s senior in-country leader, he will be responsible for developing Boeing’s India strategy. Besides coordinating business activities, he will also be involved in expanding Boeing’s presence and partnerships in the country.

“Pratyush has a distinguished business career and brings considerable experience and success in the Indian market to Boeing,” says Shep Hill, president of Boeing International and senior vice-president of business development and strategy.

Before joining Boeing, Kumar was president and CEO, GE Transportation, South Asia, which builds equipment for the rail, mining and marine industries. During his stint with GE, he managed multiple partnerships and an extensive supply chain for the production of rail equipment. He also worked with GE Infrastructure in India, where he was in charge of building strategic relationships with customers and trading partners.

Kumar founded a Boston, Massachusetts-based biotech company in 2002 and was responsible for the overall strategy of the company. From 1994 to 2001, he was a consultant with McKinsey & Company, working in Atlanta and New Delhi.

He has a doctorate in materials manufacturing from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Cambridge) and a Bachelor of Technology degree in mechanical engineering from IIT-Delhi.

Kumar will be exploring new opportunities for partnership in defence, industry and technology in the country. Boeing will also focus on the Indian aerospace sector. The company has developed important relationships with suppliers in India and is actively pursuing technical and business partnerships with Indian companies and institutions.