Bengaluru: On Friday, Boeing’s new global engineering and technology campus near Bengaluru was officially opened by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The 43-acre, cutting-edge Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) campus was constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,600 crore, making it the aviation giant’s largest investment outside of the United States. The goal of the campus at Hightech Defence and Aerospace Park in Devanahalli, on the outskirts of the city, is to serve as a foundation for collaborations with Indian startups and the private and public sectors. This will help with the creation of next-generation goods and services for the world’s aerospace and defense industry.
“Bengaluru is a city that connects aspirations with innovations and achievements. Bengaluru connects India’s tech potential with global demand. This new global technology campus of Boeing will strengthen Bengaluru’s identity,” said PM Modi after inaugurating the centre.
“This facility displays India’s commitment to drive global tech, research and innovation, design and demand. It strengthens the resolve of Make in India, Make for the World,” he added. Boeing’s engineering centres in Bengaluru and Chennai together employ 6,000 engineers working in the areas of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering for current and future aviation programmes. The centres work on avionics software applications, data science & analytics, enterprise systems, flight & vehicle technologies and platform among others.
Boeing has 57,000 engineers globally and 13.9% of it’s engineers are outside of the US. BIETC undertakes complex advanced aerospace work and supports Boeing’s global engineering growth. Boeing engineering and technology campus with future avionics manufacturing and assembly capability has come up in Bengaluru. David L Calhoun, Boeing president and CEO, said, “We are honoured and privileged to support Prime Minister Modi’s transformative vision for India, and we are grateful to have him dedicate the Boeing campus to foster aerospace innovation in the country,” he said. Prime Minister Modi also launched the Boeing Sukanya Program which aims to support young women to participate in India’s growing aviation sector. The programme intends to provide opportunities for girls and women from across India to learn critical skills in the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) fields and train for jobs in the aviation sector. For young girls, the programme will create STEM Labs at 150 planned locations to help spark interest in STEM careers.
Women pursuing pilot training will also be eligible for scholarships through the program. Investments will help with career development programs, simulator training funding, certifications, and flight training curricula. “We are delighted that Prime Minister Modi personally launched the Boeing Sukanya Program,” stated Stephanie Pope, chief operating officer of The Boeing Company. By working together, we can increase the number of Indian women who have the opportunity to pursue careers and leadership roles in the aviation industry.” The history of Boeing and India dates back to the 1940s, when the Indian Air Force took delivery of two Boeing aircraft: the military transport C-47 Skytrain, built by McDonnell Douglas, and the T-6 Texan, also known as the Harvard Advanced Trainer, manufactured by North American Aviation.
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