Airbus directors to visit Delhi as govt pushes for Make in India plans

The Airbus board will hold its first meeting in Delhi, reflecting India's growing role in aerospace as the Centre urges global firms to manufacture locally under Make in India

In a first, Airbus directors are set to meet in Delhi this week for their annual off-site strategy session, The Economic Times reported. The move underlines India’s growing importance in the global aviation and aerospace market.

 

Such meetings are typically held in Europe or in countries with significant Airbus manufacturing operations. The last time it was held outside Europe was in 2018 in China, where Airbus runs a final assembly line for A320 aircraft.

Why the visit matters

 

The meeting comes as the Narendra Modi government pushes global aerospace firms to step up local manufacturing under the Make in India initiative. With Indian airlines ordering more than 1,500 passenger and cargo aircraft, New Delhi has been pressing Airbus and Boeing to expand production in the country.

 

What's on agenda

 

According to the report, Airbus directors will meet senior government officials as well as representatives of IndiGo and Air India, the company’s two largest Indian customers. Both airlines are reportedly scheduled to take delivery of more than 1,000 Airbus aircraft in the coming years.

 

The delegation will also tour Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) in Hyderabad and Dynamatics Technologies in Karnataka—both Tier-1 global suppliers to Airbus, the report said.

Strategic significance for Airbus

 

According to Airbus, the visit reinforces its commitment to India as a vital hub for both sourcing and operations. An Airbus spokesperson told The Economic Times: “We continue to further integrate India into our global value chain. This visit will serve to reinforce our commitment, cementing Airbus’s role as a reliable partner of India.”

Building manufacturing in India

 

Airbus is already developing a manufacturing line for C-295 military transport aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat, and a facility for civilian helicopters in Kolar, Karnataka.

 

Earlier this year, Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury said a final assembly line in India could be considered for the next generation of planes, but not for the current one. He argued that India should focus on building a supplier ecosystem: “A final assembly line is only 7 per cent of an entire aircraft, but increasing sourcing leads to the creation of an ecosystem of companies that create jobs.”

Indian carriers’ massive orders

 

In 2023, IndiGo placed an order for 500 Airbus A320 family jets—the largest single order in commercial aviation history. Air India has also partnered on pilot training facilities in Gurugram with 10 full-flight simulators.