Interview | President, Boeing India and South Asia, Salil Gupte

How is Boeing’s commitment to initiatives like ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ driving indigenous aerospace and defence manufacturing?

Boeing’s steadfast commitment to ‘Make in India’ and ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ is evident in our strategic investments, partnerships, and innovations that help grow India’s aerospace and defence ecosystem. Our approach goes beyond transactions—we collaborate to co-develop advanced solutions, drive innovation, and foster indigenous manufacturing and skill development.

An example that stands out is Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL) in Hyderabad, a state-of-the-art facility that integrates cutting-edge technology with indigenous manufacturing. TBAL produces aero-structures for Boeing’s AH-64 Apache helicopter, including fuselages, secondary structures, and vertical spar boxes. With now over 300 fuselages delivered globally, including to the US Army, more than 90 per cent of the fuselage parts are manufactured in India, sourced from network of over 100 MSME suppliers. TBAL also has a more recent production line that manufactures vertical fin structures for 737.

Our supplier ecosystem in India has consistently achieved global recognition, with partners such as Cyient, Tata, Rossell, and Dynamatic Technologies Limited receiving Boeing’s prestigious ‘Supplier of the Year’ award among a competitive network of over 11,000 suppliers worldwide. This highlights the exceptional quality and capabilities of Indian suppliers, reinforcing their growing role in global aerospace manufacturing. Through initiatives like these, Boeing continues to drive India’s indigenous aerospace ambitions, strengthening local manufacturing capabilities and advancing the country’s vision of self-reliance in the sector.

How is Boeing addressing India’s growing aviation market across commercial, defence, and services businesses?

Boeing’s vision has always been to bring the best of Boeing to India and take the best of India to the world. With over 80 years in India, Boeing has been integral to the growth of the country’s commercial aviation sector and the modernisation of its defence forces, building trust and reliability among local stakeholders. Our long-standing presence and continuous engagement have positioned us as the mainstay of India’s growing commercial aviation sector. We have strong partnerships with Indian carriers such as Akasa Air, Air India, and SpiceJet. Air India’s historic order for up to 290 Boeing jets and the Akasa Air order of 226 737 MAX airplanes speak to Boeing’s increasing presence and participation in India’s aviation growth. Boeing also offers comprehensive lifecycle support services, such as pilot and technician training and digital solutions, to optimise airline operations.

Today, India operates 11 C-17s, 22 AH-64 Apaches (with six more on order), 15 CH-47 Chinooks, 12 P-8Is, 3 VVIP aircraft and two Head of State aircraft, all Boeing platforms. We are also seeing growth in our services business and, with it, growth in the value Boeing creates through product lifecycle support and training. Our team is working with the Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy to provide operational capability and readiness for the P-8Is, C-17s, Apaches, Chinooks and Head of State aircraft through sustenance contracts. Boeing Defence India (BDI), our local establishment in India, is leading our investments in services infrastructure, building of local capabilities, workforce training and partnerships right here in India that are aimed at ensuring the Indian armed forces are always mission-ready, and operate their assets at peak condition.

We are collaborating closely with Indian stakeholde