New Delhi: European aerospace firm Airbus, which aims to double sourcing of parts from India to $1.5 billion in the coming years, said Thursday that it has awarded a contract for the manufacture and assembly of doors for its A220 family of aircraft to Bengaluru-based Dynamatic Technologies.
The company termed it one of the largest aerospace export contracts to India.
Under the agreement, Dynamatic will manufacture and assemble cargo, passenger and service doors along with the over-wing emergency exit doors for the A220 aircraft (eight doors per aircraft). The doors contract includes the manufacture of detailed parts components, which will create downstream opportunities for other Indian suppliers.
“Airbus continues to walk the talk on ‘Make in India’. This contract with our trusted partner Dynamatic is a step change in aerospace manufacturing in India because this work package will involve complex system integration that will bring new capabilities to the Indian ecosystem,” Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia, told reporters at a press conference in New Delhi.
While the order value was not disclosed, Maillard said Airbus sourced components and services worth $750 million from India every year, and the company planned to take this figure to $1.5 billion over the next few years. The doors deal is an “integral part of our strategy” to achieve this, he added.
Minister of Civil Aviation Jyotiraditya Scindia, who was also present at the press conference, called it one of the single-largest export contracts for an Indian aerospace manufacturing company. Scindia said that as of now, every Airbus commercial aircraft and helicopter had components and technology from India. He added that it was the right time for Airbus to invest in the nation and that the doors contract was an example of the ‘Make In India’ initiative translating into huge growth and employment dividends for the nation.
The first deliveries of the A220 doors are expected early next year, Dynamatic Technologies CEO and Managing Director Udayant Malhoutra said at the conference.
The company already manufactures the flap track beam of the Airbus A330 and A320 aircraft as well as the cockpit escape hatch door of the A220.
The A220 is the only Airbus aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market and is suited for regional as well as long distance routes.
“For Airbus, India is a strategic resource hub where 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,” Airbus said in a statement.
This is the second doors contract awarded by Airbus to an Indian supplier in less than one year. In 2023, Airbus gave the contract for the manufacture of bulk and cargo doors for the A320 family of aircraft to Tata Advanced Systems.
Airbus is also building two Final Assembly Lines in the country — one for the C295 military aircraft and the second one for the H125 helicopter.
(Edited by Nida Fatima Siddiqui)
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