India Moves to Cut Aircraft Parts Duties as It Pushes to Build Planes at Home
Photo Credit: A plane above a forest. Pexels
Skift Take
While aircraft manufacturing in India may still be some way off, but the government is already taking steps to make domestic production commercially viable.
India has proposed the removal of basic customs duty on components and parts required for the manufacture of civilian, training and other aircrafts. The development comes as the country pushes towards building planes in India itself.
Adani Defence and Aerospace and Brazilian planemaker Embraer last week announced plans to explore building a domestic regional transport aircraft (RTA) ecosystem. The proposed collaboration would also study local assembly, supply-chain development, MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul), and pilot training.
Kinjal Shah, senior vice president at credit ratings agency ICRA Limited said the move will lower aircraft purchase cost.
Indian airlines are also growing their fleet and placing large orders to support their expansion plans. Besides the standing orderbook, Air India last week announced an order for 30 additional Boeing 737 MAX single-aisle aircraft and the conversion of 15 Airbus A321neo jets into the longer-range A32