A Make-in-India move in the works? First Airbus board meeting in Delhi fuels speculation
Board meetings like this usually happen in Europe or in countries where Airbus already has deep manufacturing roots such as China, where it operates a final assembly line for A320 jets.
- Sep 25, 2025,
- Updated Sep 25, 2025 7:16 AM IST
Airbus is reportedly bringing its top brass to Delhi this week for the first time for its annual strategy meet.
According to The Economic Times, which reported the development, Airbus directors will meet top Indian government officials, as well as executives from IndiGo and Air India — its two largest customers in the country.
Board meetings like this usually happen in Europe or in countries where Airbus already has deep manufacturing roots such as China, where it operates a final assembly line for A320 jets. The last such meeting outside Europe was held in China in 2018.
Business Today could not independently verify this report.
The timing is notable. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has been pushing global aerospace firms to shift from selling into India to building in India, as part of its broader Make-in-India campaign. With Indian carriers having ordered over 1,500 aircraft, the pressure on Airbus to deepen its local footprint is mounting.
An Airbus spokesperson quoted in the report confirmed the visit, stating: “We continue to further integrate India into our global value chain. This visit will serve to reinforce our commitment, cementing Airbus’ role as a reliable partner of India.”
During their trip, the board will visit suppliers Tata Advanced Systems in Hyderabad and Dynamatic Technologies in Karnataka, which are already part of Airbus’ global Tier 1 supply network.
Airbus currently sources $1.4 billion worth of components annually from over 40 Indian suppliers, a figure it aims to push to $2 billion by 2030. While it is setting up final assembly lines for the C-295 military aircraft in Gujarat and civilian helicopters in Karnataka, the company remains cautious about building commercial jets locally.
Airbus is reportedly bringing its top brass to Delhi this week for the first time for its annual strategy meet.
According to The Economic Times, which reported the development, Airbus directors will meet top Indian government officials, as well as executives from IndiGo and Air India — its two largest customers in the country.
Board meetings like this usually happen in Europe or in countries where Airbus already has deep manufacturing roots such as China, where it operates a final assembly line for A320 jets. The last such meeting outside Europe was held in China in 2018.
Business Today could not independently verify this report.
The timing is notable. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration has been pushing global aerospace firms to shift from selling into India to building in India, as part of its broader Make-in-India campaign. With Indian carriers having ordered over 1,500 aircraft, the pressure on Airbus to deepen its local footprint is mounting.
An Airbus spokesperson quoted in the report confirmed the visit, stating: “We continue to further integrate India into our global value chain. This visit will serve to reinforce our commitment, cementing Airbus’ role as a reliable partner of India.”
During their trip, the board will visit suppliers Tata Advanced Systems in Hyderabad and Dynamatic Technologies in Karnataka, which are already part of Airbus’ global Tier 1 supply network.
Airbus currently sources $1.4 billion worth of components annually from over 40 Indian suppliers, a figure it aims to push to $2 billion by 2030. While it is setting up final assembly lines for the C-295 military aircraft in Gujarat and civilian helicopters in Karnataka, the company remains cautious about building commercial jets locally.