Offset offers set soaring levels of industrial participation.

Boeing, if anything, appeared to be more aggressive in its response to the MMRCA request for proposal. Extending firm support to India’s efforts to shape a vibrant indigenous aerospace industry, it also underscored that the country would play a key role in enhancing the company’s global competitiveness and growth through a series of strategic partnerships with Indian industries.The Boeing Company has been, and will continue to be, a true partner to India, said Chris Chadwick, President of Boeing Military Aircraft. To that end, our IP (Industrial Participation) proposal draws upon the company’s vast pool of human talent, technical expertise and aerospace and defence resources, to both support India’s defence modernisation drive and help spur growth of a world-class Indian aerospace industry.

To help meet the MMRCA IP requirements, Boeing has assembled a formidable industrial lineup that includes the Super Hornet industry supplier team of 16 leading aerospace defence companies and Boeing’s Indian IP partners consisting of 37 public and private sector companies.We are already establishing the groundwork that will lead us to success in this large undertaking through early engagement of Indian industry, both public and private, said Vivek Lall, Boeing Integrated Defense Systems Vice President and India Country Head. The alliances had actually begun forming in earnest as far back as November 2006, when Boeing hosted a conference in Bangalore at which 25 of its key suppliers were introduced to more than 25 India-based aerospace and engineering services companies. As a result, in December 2007, Boeing signed an MoU with India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, which is adopting Boeing’s lean and best-management practices.

Boeing has also signed an MoU with India-based Larsen & Toubro for joint exploration of business opportunities in the Indian defence market. More recently, Boeing has reached a landmark agreement to form a joint aerospace venture with Tata Industries Limited.