PM Narendra Modi and US President Joe Biden hailed the mega agreement between Air India and Boeing as a shining example of mutually beneficial cooperation. PM Modi on Tuesday invited Boeing and other US companies in the aviation and allied fields to make use of the opportunities arising due to the expanding civil aviation sector in India.
Air India on Tuesday announced its deal with American aircraft-maker Boeing for 290 planes. The Air India-Boeing deal is part of a mega deal for about 500 new planes that the company is acquiring to revamp itself. The 500 aircraft will cost Talace Private Limited, a special-purpose vehicle of Tata Sons that owns Air India, more than $100 billion, according to news agency Reuters.
US President Joe Biden called the deal with Boeing a “historic agreement”. “The United States can and will lead the world in manufacturing. I am proud to announce today the purchase of over 200 American-made aircraft through a historic agreement between Air India and Boeing. This purchase will support over one million American jobs across 44 states, and many will not require a four-year college degree,” he said.
Speaking with US President Biden over the telephone on Tuesday, PM Modi highlighted the deepening India-US Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership.
The two leaders agreed to bolster the “vibrant and mutually beneficial people-to-people ties” between India and the US. PM Modi and US President Biden agreed to remain in contact during India’s ongoing G20 Presidency to ensure its success.
During the call, PM Modi and President Biden hailed the first meeting of the initiative on Critical and Emerging Technologies (iCET) held recently in Washington DC and expressed a keen desire to strengthen bilateral cooperation in space, semiconductors, defence, and other areas, according to news agency ANI.
The Air India-Boeing deal was made official just a few hours after PM Narendra Modi announced the Indian airline’s agreement with French aircraft-maker Airbus. Air India’s move to reinvent itself with the largest-ever aviation deal in the world has been hailed by UK prime Minister Rishi Sunak as well. He said that Britain stood to benefit from the deal, too, as it would create jobs and boost exports since Airbus designs and manufactures components there.