Aircraft maker Airbus on Thursday announced awarding a contract to Indian company Dynamatic Technologies for manufacturing all the doors for its next-generation narrow body A220 planes, giving a boost to the 'Make in India' initiative.
While financial details were not disclosed, Civil Aviation Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia said it is one of the single-largest export contracts for an Indian aerospace manufacturing company and emphasised that the country is becoming a destination for aircraft component manufacturing activities.
Airbus, which aims to increase its procurement of components and services from India to $1.5 billion in the next few years, said the contract will support the ramp-up of the A220 programme by creating additional capacity to the currently existing source.
Under the agreement, Dynamatic will manufacture and assemble the cargo, passenger and service doors along with the over-wing emergency exit doors for the A220 family aircraft. It will be eight doors per aircraft.
The contract includes the manufacturing of detailed parts and components, which will also create downstream opportunities for the other Indian suppliers.
Already, Dynamatic manufactures the Flap Track Beam of the Airbus A330 and A320 family of aircraft as well as the cockpit escape hatch door of the A220 planes.
At a function in the national capital to announce the award of the contract to the Bengaluru-based Dynamatic, Airbus India & South Asia President & Managing Director Remi Maillard also said that India is not just a market but a strategic resource hub.
The company is expanding its industrial footprint with aircraft assembly, component manufacturing, engineering design and development, MRO support, pilot and maintenance training as well as academic collaboration to foster human capital.
Maillard said the aircraft maker's procurement of components and services from India will rise to $1.5 billion in the next few years. Currently, it is around $50 million.
"Today, every Airbus commercial aircraft has components and technologies made in India," the aircraft maker said in the release.
Dynamatic Technologies CEO and Managing Director Udayant Malhoutra said the first door is expected to be delivered in early 2025.
The A220 planes are built for the 100-150 seats market, and are suited for regional as well as long-distance routes, according to Airbus.
Among other features, these aircraft have a 50 per cent reduced noise footprint and up to 25 per cent lower fuel burn per seat compared to previous-generation aircraft.
Scindia said that it is the right time for Airbus to invest in India and highlighted that the contract is an example of the 'Make In India' initiative translating huge growth and employment dividends for the nation.
According to him, the contract will go a long way in bringing the complete aircraft door-making technology to the Indian aerospace ecosystem.
"For the first time, every Airbus commercial aircraft and every Airbus helicopter has critical technologies and systems designed, manufactured and maintained in India," the minister said in a tweet.
Airbus is also building two Final Assembly Lines -- for the C295military aircraft and for the H125 helicopters.
India is one of the fastest-growing civil aviation markets in the world.
Besides, India is a key market for Airbus where domestic carriers, including IndiGo, have placed large orders for its aircraft as they expand their fleet to meet the rising air traffic demand.
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