New Delhi: Aerospace giant Airbus has announced that it will set up a Research and Development (R&D) Centre of Excellence at Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya in Gujarat, reinforcing its commitment to the India's innovation ecosystem.
Jurgen Westermeier, managing director of Airbus, announced the plan after a meeting with Union Minister Electronics and Information Technology Ashwini Vaishnaw, adding that the company is sourcing over $1 billion worth components annually from more than 100 Indian suppliers.
"Glad to know from Mr. Jurgen Westermeier, MD, Airbus India that Airbus is sourcing $1 billion+ worth components and has 100+ Indian suppliers. With strong design capabilities, it will soon set up an R&D Centre of Excellence at Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya,” according to Vaishnaw. The aircraft maker has established a Digital Centre in Bengaluru, which it calls the backbone of its digital transformation.
Airbus's Bengaluru hub is its second-largest digital facility, following the headquarters in France's Toulouse. In 2018, the company expanded its Digital capabilities in India by establishing a Global Capability Centre (GCC) to support all divisions worldwide. The aircraft maker has employed over 3600 employees across its various sites, including over 1500 skilled IT professionals to deliver IT solutions to the business.
Airbus collaborates with leading Indian institutes on joint R&D projects focused on sustainability, engineering, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and big data. Airbus' local footprint in sourcing, engineering, innovation, maintenance and training services is a testament to our commitment to developing the local ecosystem, the global firm said in a statement.
The company said that India serves as a strategic resource hub, providing world-class talent and research that powers the aerospace sector. Airbus Helicopters had in August awarded a contract to Mahindra Aerostructures Pvt Ltd. (MASPL) to manufacture the main fuselage of its H125 helicopter, marking a strengthening of the collaboration between the two companies and the government’s ‘Make in India’ drive. Tata-Group owned Air India had ordered 100 Airbus aircrafts in December 2024, consisting of 10 wide-body A350s and 90 narrow-body A320 Family aircraft.
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