“We will continue to support civil aviation growth and deepen our industrial footprint in India,” Fourie said on Twitter along with a photo of their meeting. Prime Minister of India Narendra Modi,
He did not give further details.
Faury’s comments on industrial presence come at a time when India is increasingly getting involved in the civilian supply chain.
A senior Boeing Company official had told ET Infra in September that India had shown resilience during the pandemic and that Boeing and other companies would make more use of their suppliers.
The meeting between the world’s largest civil planner and the leader of the world’s fastest-growing airline market also coincides with a potentially major Air India jet purchase, although industry sources said this was not the main focus of the visit.
Air India New owner Tata Group is in advanced stages of talks of a major fleet refurbishment and expansion, which industry sources say could include up to 250 Airbus jets, including 200-210 A320neo-family jets and more than three dozen A350s Huh.
Airbus is also expected to secure a new home at Air India for six A350s originally earmarked for Russia’s Aeroflot, although it is unclear whether these are included in the main order.
Air India is also close to a deal to buy some 190 Boeing 737 Max jets And 30 of its 787 Dreamliners are potentially close to 500 aircraft as part of a single package, Reuters reported last week. The deal could also include a handful of larger 777X jets.
After intense talks last week, the contours of the tens of billions of dollars package are taking shape, the sources said, but the timing of any announcement was unclear.
He cautioned that negotiations for big-ticket planes typically go to the wire and can break down at the last minute over contractual details such as deposits and inflation terms.
Airbus declined to comment and the Tata Group was not immediately available to comment.
In October, Tata Group and Airbus said they would make the C-295 military transport aircraft in India.
India among the world’s largest defense importers Trying to reduce its dependence on foreign firms and increase local production. Only the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited currently manufactures aircraft mainly for the armed forces.