The past two years have been a major challenge for the global aerospace industry. Ripple effects were also felt in the Indian aerospace industry. All private and commercial flights have been grounded for as long as possible, and the business leader has made two of his commitments to weathering COVID-19 and maintaining the sector’s resilience in the face of this crisis. I am facing one challenge.

If 2021 was a year of recovery, 2022 will be a turning point. Globally, cash flow and investment in space technology companies is increasing, an industry that has long been considered too risky for serious investment. This has also led to increased investment in aerospace. In India, policy interventions in government programs such as UDAN and national programs such as Atmanirbhar Bharat focused on strengthening regional connectivity and aviation infrastructure will enable the private sector to develop core competencies and accelerate R&D. Abundant opportunities have opened up for (R&D) and investment in domestic manufacturing.

The pandemic has also accelerated the adoption of new technologies at an unprecedented rate. This is driving further demand in areas such as data science, cloud computing, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and big data analytics. Companies are now investing in expanding their portfolios and digitizing their processes.

Innovation is the foundation of every industry. As we move into a future littered with revolutionary new realities such as air ride sharing and self-driving cars, the rapid adoption of advanced technologies will unlock fundamental efficiencies and operational advantages that were previously unthinkable. brought. These technologies will take hold and redefine the future of transportation. At the design philosophy level, companies are slowly moving away from designing hardware products and focusing on software applications that solve problems. Therefore, the promise of affordable mobility for commercial, civilian, and aerospace military applications is deeply embedded in software.

In the field of product design, AI algorithms will evaluate and streamline design and manufacturing systems faster. In addition to making the system more energy efficient, the combination of AI-powered generative design and 3D printing enables aesthetic and practical designs. In addition, AI-powered cloud-based applications make maintenance simpler and easier.

Urban Air Mobility (UAM) and Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) are the next big disruptors in aviation and India has great potential to lead its design and development. Next-generation innovations consist of an ultra-compact fly-by-wire control system and an ultra-compact radar system with detection and avoidance. Above all, the technology does more than just enable autonomy and urban airborne mobility. It also has applications in other industries.

According to industry group NASSCOM, India is a hotbed of R&D and digital talent. India’s technology research and development services sector is expected to reach $63 billion by 2025 from $31 billion in 2019. Continuous innovation, a large digital talent pool and differentiated service delivery. India has one of the world’s largest R&D talent pools to meet the scalability needs of global companies.

Retraining and upskilling, both in the private and public sectors, should be a top national priority in developing and developing the right workforce for the aviation industry and establishing itself as the new global leader in the field. Collaboration between industry and academia, including joint R&D initiatives, curriculum design, and internships, is key to developing a future-ready workforce.

The global aviation industry was also an early adopter of cleaner fuels. Significant progress has been made in developing sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) as a drop-in replacement for fossil-based aviation fuel. We are also developing an SAF that is a 100% substitute for the existing kerosene.

To achieve carbon neutrality in aerospace, companies are focusing on sustainable propulsion alternatives as well as incremental technology improvements and operational efficiencies. SAFs made from renewable sources such as biomass currently reduce carbon emissions by 70-80%. Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) priorities are also now becoming an integral part of corporate governance. Finally, as some signatories to climate change conventions (such as the recently concluded COP26) have begun to encourage “test and learn” mechanisms and promote sustainability through industry certification, A wide range of key players are focused on achieving sustainability goals across single organizations, industries and economies.

India’s aviation sector is experiencing healthy growth owing to rising revenues, a growing middle class, competition among budget airlines, investments in airport infrastructure and supportive government policies. The country is expected to become the world’s third largest aviation market by 2024.

Big leaps are expected as companies move beyond increasing profits to an era of exploration through next-generation product and service innovation. By putting innovation at the forefront, organizations can focus on managing their workforce and strengthening their global footprint while maintaining a high level of technical management capability. The move from bricks to chips and the convergence of the internet and computer technology has greatly optimized costs and processes in the aerospace industry. As these technologies mature and become smarter, not only will the ecosystem grow, but so will our mobility concept as a whole.