Airbus on Friday opened a new technology centre in Bengaluru, expanding its operations in India and strengthening the city’s position in the global aviation industry.

The facility will function as a hub for engineering, digital transformation, customer services and procurement, and will support the company’s ‘Make in India’ programme, Airbus said in a statement.

Spread over 8,80,000 sq. ft, the Airbus India Technology Centre was inaugurated by Karnataka deputy chief minister D. K. Shivakumar and industries and infrastructure minister M. B. Patil. The campus can accommodate about 5,000 employees, the company said.

Union Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu, who joined the event virtually, said Bengaluru has emerged as the aviation, aerospace and defence manufacturing capital of the country.

“The inauguration of this grand Airbus campus further strengthens Bengaluru’s position as a global aviation hub,” he said.

"This campus represents the confidence of India and the confidence that the world has in India’s technological capabilities," he said.

He said the Airbus campus would play an important role in the company’s India operations.

"Critical technologies in every Airbus aircraft and helicopter will be designed and developed by Indian engineers in Bengaluru," he added.

Airbus said the Bengaluru facility is its largest engineering and digital centre outside Europe and will support its ‘Make in India’ plans.

The company has increased sourcing from India from USD 500 million in 2019 to more than USD 1.5 billion now. It expects this to cross USD 2 billion before the end of the decade.

Jürgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director of Airbus in India and South Asia, said the new centre would help expand existing capabilities and strengthen the company’s operations in the country.

"This centre will allow us to scale existing technological competencies and innovation ecosystems while also addressing the customer services and procurement dimensions of our ‘Make in India’ mission. It ensures that Indian expertise continues to be woven into every stage of our global value chain."

The campus also has a customer services centre that will support Airbus clients across the world.

"This centre offers tailored support programmes, flight hour services and comprehensive maintenance and technical support to Airbus customers around the world, ensuring operational excellence across the global fleet," the company said.