A senior corporate executive stated on Thursday that Airbus anticipates having over 5,000 direct employees in India and plans to source $2 billion worth of services and components from the nation over the next two years.

Remi Maillard, Managing Director South Asia and President of Airbus India, added that the company's involvement in the nation is accelerating.

At the moment, the aircraft manufacturer sources services and parts valued at one billion euros from India and has about 3,500 direct employees there.

He stated that it will expand the sourcing footprint and that it is anticipated to reach $2 billion in the coming years while speaking at the opening of the Airbus India and South Asia Headquarters-Training Center in the nation's capital.

In the upcoming years, Airbus will employ more than 5,000 people directly in India, he noted.

Among other things, Airbus plans to invest in the construction of a 5,000-seater Airbus campus in Bengaluru and establish a second pilot training facility through a joint venture with Air India.

Additionally, the European major will manufacture the H125 helicopter and C295 military aircraft in India. Both initiatives are being carried out in collaboration with the Tata Group.

Airbus is collaborating with Indian research institutions to facilitate the commercialization of the first "Made in India" Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), according to Maillard.

'Make-in-India' is key to Airbus Defence and Space's strategy, according to CEO Michael Schoellhorn.

"The C295 programme is creating history as the first aircraft fully manufactured in India by the private sector," he stated.

He added that the corporation is prepared to replicate the C295 program's success with a number of upcoming modernization initiatives for the Indian military.

This includes "the medium transport aircraft programme for which we are prepared to completely industrialise the A400M in India," he added.