Airbus sourcing over $1 bn components from 100 India suppliers: Vaishnaw

Jürgen Westermeier, Airbus' managing director for India and South Asia, said the company will set up a centre of excellence for research and development at Vadodara-based Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya

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Union Minister of Electronics & Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw on Thursday said Europe's Airbus is currently sourcing more than $1 billion in components from over 100 Indian suppliers. He posted the information after meeting with Jürgen Westermeier, Airbus' managing director for India and South Asia on Thursday to discuss the company's manufacturing plans in the country.

 

"Glad to know from Mr. Jürgen Westermeier, MD, Airbus India that Airbus is sourcing more than $1 billion worth components and has over 100 Indian suppliers," Vaishnaw said on social media site X.

 

Westermeier also informed the minister that the European planemaker plans to set up a centre of excellence for research and development at Vadodara-based Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.

 

"With strong design capabilities, it will soon set up an R&D Centre of Excellence at Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya." Vaishnaw wrote.

 

The multinational aviation company employs more than 3,600 people across its different locations, including over 1,500 highly skilled IT professionals who provide technology solutions to support its business operations.

 

In 2023, Airbus had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya for development of academic curricula, faculty, industrial experience, training and scholarships, and collaboration with international institutes.

 

Currently, the aviation major’s Bengaluru centre is its second-largest digital hub worldwide, second only to the headquarters in Toulouse, France.

 

Manufacturing plans

 

Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) inaugurated the C-295 Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara on 28 October 2024. Under this programme, 56 C-295 aircraft have been ordered by the Indian Air Force, with 40 to be assembled in India and 16 delivered directly from Spain.

 

Airbus currently sources over $1.4 billion worth of components and services annually from India and has set a target to raise this figure to around $2 billion by 2030, according to a Reuters report.

 

In addition to the C-295 project, Airbus is expanding its partnerships in the helicopter segment. Mahindra Aerostructures was awarded, by Airbus, the main-fuselage manufacturing contract for the H130 helicopter in April 2025, followed by the H125 fuselage contract in August 2025. Industrialisation for both these projects is expected to begin by 2027.