New Delhi. Lockheed Martin’s commitment to the Indian government’s strategic ‘Make in India’ policy, the national ‘Skills Initiative’ and to working with industrial partners in India to expand its business footprint was a feature of discussions involving the Corporation’s Chairman, President and CEO Marillyn Hewson during a visit to New Delhi recently.
Meeting with political leaders, senior government officials and leading Indian industrialists, Hewson highlighted Lockheed Martin’s sponsorship of the India Innovation Growth Programme (IIGP) as an example of effective partnership in action.
Backed by Lockheed Martin since 2007, IIGP is a partnership involving industry and academia in both India and the United States. It has underpinned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Startup India’ call by supporting more than 400 innovators and start-up companies since launch.
Speaking at a dinner to celebrate the success of the IIGP as it enters its 10th year, Hewson said: “We’re very proud to be a part of a programme to harness innovation and promote growth. It’s a natural endeavour for a global technology company like Lockheed Martin and an important way that we are able to contribute to the economic success of a nation where we’ve done business for many decades.”
Today, every C-130J airlifter sold internationally contains major aero-structure assemblies manufactured in India by Tata and every S-92 medium-lift helicopter built by Sikorsky, a Lockheed Martin company, has a cabin manufactured by Tata in Hyderabad.
“As we continue to build on the momentum and traction gained in India over the past 25 years, Lockheed Martin has proven expertise leveraging our innovative technologies to help engineer success with our customers and partners,” said Hewson. “I look forward to growing our 25-year story in India and to establishing greater and more meaningful partnerships that will help grow the Indian economy and community.”
