12 April,2015 07:31 AM IST | | Agencies
Airbus Industrie tells Prime Minister Narendra Modi its plans to up sourcing volume from the country
Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a selfie with Indian employees during a visit to the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France
Toulouse: Prime Minister Narendra Modi kept up his hectic schedule on day two of his France tour, visiting the Airbus facility in Toulouse.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi takes a selfie with Indian employees during a visit to the Airbus facility in Toulouse, France. Pic/ PTI
A day after Modi held talks with French President Francois Hollande and both sides inked 17 agreements and also announced the purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets, the prime minister flew down to Toulouse in southern France.
Accompanied by French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius, Modi went around the Airbus A 380 Assembly Line Facility.
Airbus Industrie has assured Modi that its Indian outsourcing will increase from $400 million to $2 billion over the next five years as part of the Indian government's Make in India initiative.
Tweet talk
External affairs ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin tweeted: "500% increase in 5 years. @Airbus to PMA @narendramodi: Indian outsourcing to increase from $400 mil to $2 billion."
"Make in India gains further momentum. $2 billion cumulative outsourcing planned by @Airbus from India by 2020," he posted.
"Amazing visit to @Airbus Facility. They are very enthusiastic about @makeinindia initiative," Modi tweeted.
At the Airbus facility, the top brass gave Modi their assessment on the need for aircrafts by Indian carriers. The country, they said, will require as many as 1,291 planes over the next 20 years - 913 in single-aisle configuration, 322 twin-aisled and
56 large ones.
Tour de France
Modi was taken on the tour by a team led by Airbus Group chief executive Tom Enders.
Modi also visited the French space agency CNES and took a tour of the facility.
He later visited the Prefecture (Grande Salle, Palais National) in Toulouse where he met delegates and councillors. The prime minister will be accorded a civic reception later by the Indian community in Paris and also meet with former French president Nicolas Sarkozy.
He flies to Germany on the second leg of his visit today.
