PM at the inauguration of new state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center campus in Bengaluru, Karnataka on January 19, 2024.
Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated a new state-of-the-art Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus here today. Built with an investment of Rs. 1,600 crores, the 43-acre campus is Boeing’s largest such investment outside the USA.
The Prime Minister 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 Chief Operating Officer of Boeing Company, Stephanie Pope, said that this new campus is a testament to Boeing’s engineering legacy and it underlined the belief in the availability, depth of talent and capability that exists in India.
Elaborating further on the scope of the new campus and Boeing’s plan to create an ecosystem that propelled India to the forefront of the aerospace industry, she said the new campus will become one of the most cutting-edge examples of the self-reliant India initiative or ‘Atmanirbharta’. She credited the Prime Minister for his idea of the Sukanya programme and lauded Boeing’s efforts to create and accelerate opportunities in aviation for Indian women. “This programme will break barriers and inspire more women to pursue careers in aerospace”, she remarked.
The Sukanya programme will provide opportunities for girls and women from across India to learn critical skills in the science, technology, engineering and maths (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. The program will also provide scholarships to women who are training to be pilots. The Boeing COO expressed confidence that Boeing and India’s partnership would shape the future of aviation and make a positive difference for the people of India and around the world.
The Prime Minister said the scale and magnitude of the new Boeing campus will not only strengthen India but also the aviation market of the world. According to him, this facility demonstrated India’s commitment to drive global tech, research and innovation, design and demand. “This strengthens the ‘Make in India-Make for the World’ resolution”, he said, and added, “This campus reinforces the world’s trust in India’s talent”. He expressed the faith that one day, India will design aircraft of the future in this facility.
Recalling the inauguration of Asia’s largest helicopter manufacturing factory in Karnataka last year, Modi said that Boeing’s new facility was a clear indication of Karnataka’s rise as a new aviation hub. He especially congratulated the youth of India who would now have multiple opportunities to acquire new skills in the aviation industry.
Governor of Karnataka, Thawar Chand Gehlot, and the state Chief Minister, Siddarammiah, were also present during the inauguration ceremony.
– global bihari bureau
