Airbus opens its second-largest GCC in Bengaluru; facility will serve 'Make in India' mission

European aerospace major Airbus has inaugurated its largest technology and digital innovation centre outside Europe in Bengaluru, marking a significant expansion of the company’s engineering, digital and procurement capabilities in India.

The new Airbus India Technology Centre, structured as a Global Capability Centre (GCC), spans around 880,000 sq ft and is designed to accommodate about 5,000 employees.

The facility will function as an integrated hub for engineering, digital transformation, customer services and procurement operations, while supporting Airbus’ broader “Make in India” mission.

“The inauguration of the Airbus India Technology Centre represents a strategic acceleration in our journey in India. It provides the scale and headroom for our next phase of growth,” said Jürgen Westermeier, president and managing director of Airbus in India and South Asia.

He added that the centre will help the company expand its technological capabilities, strengthen its innovation ecosystem and support customer services and procurement activities linked to its India operations.

The campus was inaugurated by Karnataka Deputy Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar and the state’s Minister for Industries and Infrastructure M.B. Patil. Addressing the event virtually, Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu said Bengaluru has emerged as a central hub for India’s aviation ecosystem and noted that Indian engineers are increasingly contributing to advanced aerospace technologies. He also highlighted that several key components for the Airbus A321neo aircraft are already manufactured in India.

The Bengaluru facility consolidates Airbus’ engineering and digital innovation work under one roof. Engineers and digital specialists based at the centre will contribute to the entire lifecycle of Airbus aircraft, including design, engineering and lifecycle management, as well as emerging areas such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, robotics and sustainable aviation systems. The centre is also expected to contribute to research, testing and certification related to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), supporting the aviation sector’s transition toward greener technologies.

“More than a third of Airbus’s global digital workforce is now based in Bengaluru. Engineers at the centre will contribute to the entire lifecycle of Airbus aircraft, supporting design, engineering, lifecycle management and emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and sustainable aviation systems,” said Catherine Jestin, Executive Vice President for Digital at Airbus.

The campus will also house a dedicated customer services centre that will provide support to Airbus operators worldwide. The centre will offer flight-hour services, maintenance assistance and technical support for commercial aircraft and helicopter programmes.

Airbus said the facility will also serve as a major procurement hub for its global operations and act as a key orchestrator of the company’s Make in India strategy. Over the past few years, Airbus has significantly expanded its supply chain footprint in the country.

The company’s annual sourcing from India has grown from about $500 million in 2019 to more than $1.5 billion currently, and Airbus expects this to exceed $2 billion before the end of the decade. More than 100 Indian companies are part of Airbus’ supply ecosystem, manufacturing components such as flap track beams, aircraft doors and helicopter fuselages.

Indian suppliers also support Airbus programmes including the final assembly line for the C295 military transport aircraft in Vadodara and the H125 helicopter facility in Vemagal near Bengaluru.

Airbus said its engineering presence in Bengaluru has evolved over the past two decades from a specialised unit into a large multi-functional centre. The new campus also includes a local chapter of the Airbus Leadership University, which will provide tailored development and learning programmes aimed at preparing the next generation of aerospace managers and specialists.