GE Aerospace's 3-Pillar Strategy for India's Aviation Ecosystem

As India's aviation ecosystem expands at unprecedented speed, GE Aerospace sees a generational opportunity unfolding.

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Speaking at the Wings India Global CEO Forum and later on the sidelines, Vikram Rai, CEO of GE Aerospace India, outlined a three-pillar strategy that he believes will be critical to building a stronger, globally competitive aerospace ecosystem in the country: infrastructure expansion, deepened private sector participation in manufacturing, and sustained investment in research and development.

Rai placed India's current trajectory in historical perspective, citing how India had only 75 airports and over 95 percent of connectivity was metro-centric and now to over 160 airports. On average, one airport is being added every 50 to 60 days. This rapid build-out of aviation infrastructure, he said, forms the foundation upon which broader ecosystem development must rest.

Rai stressed that greater private sector participation in aerospace component development and advanced manufacturing will be essential. GE Aerospace has already embedded itself within that strategy. Its multimodal manufacturing facility in Pune, operational since 2014, produces engine parts and aerospace components.

The company also partners with the Tata Group on engine components and maintains a major research and development centre in Bengaluru focused on both currentgeneration and next-generation technologies.