India says ‘time has come’ for Airbus, Boeing to set up jet assembly plants

NEW DELHI: Plane giants Airbus and Boeing face mounting pressure to set up jetliner plants in India, after the country’s civil aviation minister told Reuters the “time has come” to serve its soaring demand with jets assembled on domestic soil.

Jyotiraditya Scindia said conditions were ripe for a “leap of faith” by both jetmakers as India’s fast-growing aeronautical industry reaches an “inflection point” - highlighted by plans to assemble Airbus C295 military transport planes locally in India.

Asked whether Airbus and Boeing should now consider setting up jetliner assembly in India, Scindia said, “Absolutely, and with a capital A, and the reason why I said capital A is because Airbus has already made that huge landmark step: the C295.” Airbus and Boeing have both highlighted the scale and technology of existing investments in India, playing down the significance of final passenger jet assembly.