Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya and Airbus Partner to Strengthen Indian Aviation Sector

Key components of the agreement include a full scholarship program for 40 GSV students, the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at GSV, and the Airbus Aviation Chair Professor position at GSV.

Indian Railways’ Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) Vadodara and Airbus have entered into a landmark collaboration to significantly bolster the Indian aviation sector. Following the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in September 2023, a definitive agreement was inked at Rail Bhawan, New Delhi, between Mr. Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia, and Prof. Manoj Choudhary, Vice-Chancellor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.

The signing ceremony witnessed the presence of prominent officials including Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw, Minister of Railways, Information and Broadcasting, Electronics and IT, and the First Chancellor of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya; Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu, Union Minister of Civil Aviation; Shri Ravneet Singh, Minister of State for Railways; Ms. Jaya Varma Sinha, Chairman and CEO of Railway Board; Shri Vumlunmang Vualnam, Secretary, Ministry of Civil Aviation; and senior officials of the Railway Board.

Key components of the agreement include a full scholarship program for 40 GSV students, the establishment of a Centre of Excellence at GSV, and the Airbus Aviation Chair Professor position at GSV. Additionally, GSV and Airbus will collaborate on executive training for professionals in the aviation sector.

Shri Ashwini Vaishnaw remarked, "Today marks the conversion from MoU to actual action. Congratulations to GSV and AIRBUS. This initiative exemplifies the government's commitment to comprehensive development across various transportation sectors, including aviation."

Shri Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu highlighted the rapid growth of the civil aviation sector in India and emphasized the Ministry of Civil Aviation’s support for Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya. "The Ministry will fully collaborate with GSV to launch Masters and Ph.D. programs, preparing future leaders for the aviation sector," he said.

Shri Ravneet Singh also addressed the gathering, noting that this partnership will create job opportunities and prevent brain drain from the country. "This is a ground-breaking partnership that supports the 'Skill India' program and provides job opportunities to 15,000 students in our supply chain in India," added Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia.

Prof. Manoj Choudhary, Vice-Chancellor of GSV, highlighted the importance of this partnership. "This pioneering collaboration with Airbus will significantly advance GSV’s vision of being an industry-driven and innovation-led university, contributing to the growth of the aviation sector in India through superior human resources, skilling, and cutting-edge research."

Established through an Act of Parliament in 2022, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) aims to create best-in-class manpower and talent for the transportation and logistics sectors. Sponsored by the Ministry of Railways, GSV focuses exclusively on these sectors, fulfilling the mandates of the PM Gati Shakti National Master Plan 2021 and National Logistics Policy 2022 across railways, shipping, ports, highways, roads, waterways, and aviation.