Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya Vadodara and Airbus sign definitive agreement to bolster Indian aviation sector

New Delhi: To bolster the Indian aviation sector, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) Vadodara and Airbus on Friday entered into a definitive collaboration agreement. This partnership follows the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed in September 2023 and was formalized at Rail Bhawan in the national capital. The agreement encompasses a full scholarship program for 40 GSV students, the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at GSV, and the creation of an Airbus Aviation Chair Professor position at the university.

Additionally, GSV and Airbus will collaborate on executive training programs for professionals in the aviation sector.

Railway Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw and Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation were also present during the event.

Vaishnaw emphasized the importance of this partnership, stating, “Today marks the conversion from MoU to actual action. Congratulations to GSV and AIRBUS. Whatever has been promised is delivered.” He also highlighted the vision and the need for the development of all transportation sectors, including aviation, highways, railways, and road transportation.

Naidu expressed his happiness at the signing of the MoU with Airbus and noted the rapid growth of the civil aviation sector in India, with airports nearly doubling in number from 74 to 157 in the last ten years.

He also mentioned the Udaan scheme and the inclusion of Tier II and Tier III cities in the aviation map. He committed to the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s support for GSV’s progress in the aviation sector and encouraged the university to launch Masters and Ph.D. programs.

Remi Maillard, President and Managing Director of Airbus in India and South Asia, highlighted Airbus’s significant presence in India, with 3,500 full-time employees and support for an additional 15,000 jobs in the supply chain.

He also mentioned the company’s plans to double its sourcing from India and the development of two Final Assembly Lines in the country, one for the C295 military aircraft in Vadodara and another for the H125 helicopter.

GSV Vadodara, established through an Act of Parliament in 2022, is a central university sponsored by the Ministry of Railways, Government of India, with Ashwini Vaishnaw as its First Chancellor. The university is dedicated to creating best-in-class manpower and talent for the transportation and logistics sectors, aligning with national developmental plans such as PM Gati Shakti’s National Master Plan 2021 and National Logistics Policy 2022.

This collaboration between GSV and Airbus marks a significant step forward in the development of the Indian aviation sector, promising to foster innovation, skill development, and research in the field.