With India committing $12 billion over two years to construct new airports and updating existing ones, US firms see opportunity in areas including architectural engineering and design, environmental sustainability at airports, aviation security, cybersecurity and air traffic management, a senior US official said.
“The US is optimistic about the overall direction and trajectory of the US-Indian aviation partnership and American companies remain bullish on the Indian market with current trends showing India as one of the fastest-growing markets,” US Trade and Development Agency (USTDA) Director Enoh T Ebong said in an email interaction with businessline.
The USTDA US-India Aviation Summit in Washington DC earlier this week was an excellent opportunity to meet with partners and identify opportunities for collaboration on India’s aviation sector priorities, Ebony said. “The last Summit in 2018 resulted in nearly $300 million in commercial deals with the Government of India, and we hope that this year’s summit will drive similar results,” Ebong said.
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There are abundant opportunities for US firms to partner with India on its aviation priorities and deploy the innovative technologies that can improve and transform safety and security at India’s airports, she said. “With the expansion and investment in new airports, US firms may benefit in the following areas–architectural engineering and design; environmental sustainability at airports; aviation security; cybersecurity; air traffic management,” she said.
In terms of tools, USTDA provides grant funding for feasibility studies, technical assistance, and pilot projects, which are all critical for defining the technical requirements for infrastructure priorities and facilitating the mobilization of financing for their implementation..
At the aviation summit — which saw participation from more than 250 senior government officials and private-sector leaders from the US, India and South Asia — USTDA announced grant funding for technical assistance for the development of an integrated aviation hub at the Hisar Airport in Haryana. “The hub will include airport cargo and logistics infrastructure that will help strengthen India’s supply chain network and provide additional capacity building. USTDA’s partner for this activity will be the Haryana Airports Development Corporation, Ltd,” Ebong said.
The USTDA also released a report highlighting ten civil aviation projects in India that present opportunities for US private sector engagement.
Ties up with AAI
On USTDA’s engagement with the Airports Authority of India and Boeing on improving safety and reducing congestion for flights in India, she said that AAI was applying the findings and recommendations from this assistance to help develop its International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)-compliant National Air Navigation Plan (NANP). “This plan will be the basis for implementation. Some of the recommendations underway include the construction of new airports and runways and the deployment of new technologies and automation systems. The full timeline for implementation is expected to occur over the next 10 years, but it is promising to see the partners continuing to move forward with these initial steps,” she said.
There are several areas where the US-India aviation partnership is particularly strong and where USTDA has engaged in programming include sustainable airport master planning, more efficient air traffic management through satellite-based navigation systems and safer airports through the utilisation of innovative screening systems, she added.