India entered the jet age on the wings of Boeing commercial jetliners. The camaraderie dates back to 1932, when J.R.D. Tata flew from Karachi to Ahmedabad via Mumbai in a single-engine de Havilland (now Boeing) Puss Moth. In a span of more than ninety years, Boeing's partnership with the TATA Group has further consolidated: At the 2023 Paris Air Show, Boeing and Air India inked a historic moment with a significant order marking Boeing's largest deal in South Asia.
For Salil Gupte, heading the Indian arm of Boeing, the journey was stormy - when he moved to New Delhi from Seattle in 2019, he had to navigate two crises - grounding of Boeing 737 Max in 2019 and COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Four years after he became president of Boeing India, the aircraft maker has eclipsed challenges and is moving towards a strong footing in the country. Today, India's commercial aviation market is expected to become the third-largest in the world by 2041, with a fleet size nearly quadrupling compared to 2019. "The country is projected to receive over 90 per cent of South Asia's airplane deliveries, requiring over 2,400 new aircraft, while its cargo market is set to expand significantly, with the fleet growing from 15 to 80 airplanes by 2042, driving a $135 billion demand for commercial services," said Salil, highlighting the substantial demand in South Asia for 37,000 pilots and 38,000 maintenance technicians over the next two decades.
Catering to Make In India, domestic demand for aircraft, partnering with MSMEs, setting up an assembly plant in India, strengthening up defense ties are some of Gupte's immediate action plans in India.
MAKE IN INDIA, NEW INVESTMENTS & PARTNERSHIPS
This story is from the December 2023 edition of Entrepreneur magazine.
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This story is from the December 2023 edition of Entrepreneur magazine.
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