APRIL 2016 | 39 8 Boeing established the largest aviation maintenance, repair and overhaul center in India. — To service the country’s 737, 777 and 787 fleets, Boeing constructed a world-class MRO facility near Nagpur for Air India, which the airline operates, Keskar pointed out. Simulators for each of these Boeing commercial airplanes have been installed to allow pilot training to be offered in-country, making it more economic and convenient for customer airlines, Keskar said. Previously, pilots had to travel to locations such as Seattle or Singapore for instruction. Boeing also is building a maintenance facility to support the C-17 at Hindan Air Force Base near Delhi. 9 Boeing has founded multiple research alliances in India. — Boeing shares in several joint ventures in the country, among them research collaboration at the Indian Institute of Science in Bangalore and Indian Institute of Technology in Mumbai, plus information technology participation with subsidiary Continental Data Graphics in Chennai. “The investment and benefit that we’ve experienced lately in the country is a real sign of the possibilities that are out there,” Allen said. 10 About 1.2 million engineers and scientists graduate from schools in India each year. — Much of the world’s future engineering talent may come from India, which offers a deep talent pool and graduation rates far superior to most countries, according to Kumar. “You look for that support from the next generation,” Kumar said. “This is among the top places to look.” • DANIEL.W.RALEY@BOEING.COM Photos and illustration: (Far left, clockwise from left) Two Air India 787s at India’s Delhi Airport. SHUTTERSTOCK An artist’s concept of a SpiceJet 737 MAX 8 in flight; a LEAP-1B engine on the first 737 MAX 8 at the Renton, Wash., factory. BOEING (Above, from left) Inside Indira Gandhi International Airport in India; a Next-Generation 737 simulator. SHUTTERSTOCK On site at Boeing supplier Bharat Forge, in Pune, India. TIM REINHART | BOEING
Frontiers April 2016 Issue
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