New Delhi [India], May 6 (ANI): Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday held discussions with Airbus India and South Asia President and Managing Director Jurgen Westermeier on expanding aerospace manufacturing and aviation-related capabilities in India.

Sharing details of the meeting in a post on X, Goyal said the discussions focused on 'strengthening sourcing from India, advancing aerospace manufacturing, scaling up supply chains, enhancing Maintenance, Repair, and Operations (MRO) capabilities, and deepening skill development initiatives to position India as a global aviation hub.'

The meeting assumes significance as India continues to push for greater localisation in aerospace manufacturing and aims to emerge as a major global aviation and aircraft component production hub.

Goyal described the interaction as a 'productive meeting' with Westermeier and highlighted efforts towards increasing collaboration between India and Airbus across manufacturing, supply chains and skill development.

The talks also come at a time when global aerospace companies are increasingly looking at India as a sourcing and manufacturing destination amid diversification of supply chains.

Earlier this year, Westermeier had welcomed the framework for an interim Bilateral Trade Agreement (BTA) between India and the United States, calling it a 'runway for Indian suppliers to scale globally.'

'The announcement of a framework for an interim agreement between India and the United States on reciprocal, mutually beneficial trade is a welcome development. This initiative is not merely about reducing tariffs; it is about clearing the runway for Indian suppliers to scale globally,' Westermeier had said earlier.

He had further stated that the proposed framework would help foreign original equipment manufacturers diversify sourcing strategies and improve integration of Indian suppliers into the global aerospace ecosystem.

'For capital-intensive sectors such as aerospace manufacturing, certainty in tariffs and predictability in policy are critical for sustained growth. I hope that reduced tariffs will allow Indian suppliers to integrate more seamlessly into the global aerospace supply chain,' Westermeier had said. (ANI)