Boeing has taken major strides in growing its India presence, announcing the launch of its first Global Support Center (GSC) in India and an investment in a new logistics centre. The new logistics centre will cater to Boeing’s regional customers.
Salil Gupte, President, Boeing India, said, “With India continuing to see an unprecedented surge in civil aviation traffic, Boeing is committed to innovating and bringing value to modernise the Indian aviation ecosystem.”
The company is making these investments as it is bullish on India’s aerospace and defence growth prospects. Indian airlines are projected to nearly quadruple in fleet size by 2041 compared to 2019. A growing domestic market means airlines will require more holistic service support to drive efficient fleet operations.
More than 150 Boeing airplanes are flying with Indian carriers, including the 737 Next-Generation, 737 MAX, 757, 777, and 787 Dreamliner.
The Indian military is also a major operator of Boeing aircraft, with fleets including 11 C-17s, 22 AH-64 Apaches (with six more on order), 15 CH-47 Chinooks, 12 P-8Is, three VVIP aircraft, and two 777 Head of State aircraft.
The company's Global Support Centre – India, will be based in Gurgaon and provide customised operational efficiency and safety improvement projects for its customers, civil aviation regulatory bodies and other industry stakeholders.
Gupte said the centre will provide a platform to enable knowledge transfer to enhance safety and increase operational efficiency for its airline partners in the country.
As part of the initiative, the centre will conduct technical workshops and projects to support aircraft reliability, enhance airplane performance, and encourage adopting Airplane Health Management systems.
The new logistics centre will support an efficient and cost-effective service solution for their regional customers to maintain higher fleet utilisation and mission readiness rates. In addition, the further expansion of its footprint in India supports the company's long-term investment strategy for the country, Gupte said.
In the initial phase of the operations, the logistics centre will focus on supporting its airline customers and, in the second phase, cater to the larger network of its customers in the region.
“A key element of efficient customer support is rapid response and distribution of replacement parts. The logistics centre will allow better responsiveness and build on Boeing’s existing global reputation for the highest quality of customer service,” said Ashwani Bhargava, Senior Director, India Supply Chain, Boeing India.
The company already supports local customers with its Boeing India Repair Development and Sustainment (BIRDS) hub programme.
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