BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched two Boeing initiatives that aim at significantly advancing India’s aerospace and defence industry.
The PM officially commemorated the opening of the new state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus in Bengaluru. Built with an investment of Rs 1,600 crore, the 43-acre campus, located near the Kempegowda International Airport, is Boeing’s largest such investment outside the US, and will become a cornerstone for partnering with India on next-generation products and services for the global aerospace and defense industry.
Modi also launched the Boeing Sukanya Programme which aims to support the entry of more girl children from across India into the country’s growing aviation sector. The programme will provide opportunities for girls and women from across the country to learn critical skills in 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, while also providing scholarships to women who are training to be pilots. Investments will support flight training curriculum, obtaining certifications, funding for simulator training, and career development programs.
Stephanie Pope, Chief Operating Officer, The Boeing Company, said, “We are thrilled for Prime Minister Modi to have personally launched the Boeing Sukanya Program. Together, we will help expand opportunities for women across India to pursue careers and leadership positions in the aviation sector.”
Over the years, Boeing India has grown its team in engineering and R&D talent to the largest number of employees in any country outside the United States, with more than 6,000 as of December 2023.