Deal shows strengthening of strategic partnership between New Delhi and Paris: PM
Staff Reporter
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed confidence that India will emerge as the third-largest global market in the aviation sector in the coming years.
He said, new opportunities are emerging in the aerospace manufacturing sector under the vision of Make in India and Make for the world. He said, India can become a Maintenance, Repair, Overhaul (MRO) hub for the aviation sector.
Addressing a virtual meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on the agreement between Air India and Airbus, Mr Modi on Tuesday said, civil aviation is playing an instrumental role in the growth of the country.
He said, the Indian aviation sector will need more than 2,000 aircrafts in the next 15 years. Terming this deal historic, Mr. Modi said, this shows strengthening of strategic partnership between India and France. He said, this deal will help in fulfilling the growing demands of the aircrafts.
On the India-France relationship, the Prime Minister said, both the countries are significantly contributing on the various issues including security and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, global food and health security. He said, India and France partnership is playing an instrumental role in ensuring stability and balance of international order and multilateral system.
Highlighting the initiatives taken under the Regional Connectivity Scheme-UDAN, the Prime Minister said, the number of airports in the country has increased from 74 to 147 in the last eight years. He said, remote parts of the country are being connected through air connectivity which helped in socio-economic development.
French President Emmanuel Macron congratulated India for offering an opportunity for the strategic partnership in the aerospace sector. He said his countries’ companies are fully dedicated to developing new areas of cooperation. He said France has achieved so much with India in various sectors including space, cyber, defence, energy transition.