At an event held in Bengaluru on Friday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah shared the stage during the inauguration of Boeing’s new global engineering and technology campus. However, the atmosphere turned light-hearted when the crowd erupted into cheers of ‘Modi Modi,’ prompting the Prime Minister to take a playful jab at the Chief Minister.
As the cheers echoed, PM Modi glanced at CM Siddaramaiah and quipped, “Mukhyamantri ji aisa hota rehta hai (Chief Minister Ji, this keeps happening).” The Congress leader, caught off guard, was seen smiling uncomfortably and scratching his head. The incident occurred during the inauguration of Boeing’s Bharat Engineering & Technology Center campus.
The event marked the inauguration of Boeing’s 43-acre state-of-the-art campus in Bengaluru, representing the company’s largest investment outside the United States. The campus, constructed at a cost of Rs 1,600 crore, is aimed at advancing India’s strides in aviation and aerospace.
During his address, PM Modi commended the progress made by Bharat in aviation and aerospace, highlighting the significant role women are playing in the sector. He emphasized that women constitute about 15% of Bharat’s total pilots, which is three times the global average. Modi declared that the time for women-led development in the aviation sector has come.
PM Modi credited the ‘UDAN’ scheme for enhancing the domestic aviation market and noted that Bharat has become the world’s third major domestic aviation market. He projected that in a decade, the number of passengers in Bharat would double, attributing this growth to the rising demand that has led Bharat airlines to order hundreds of aircraft.
During the event, PM Modi also launched the Boeing Sukanya Programme, aimed at supporting the entry of more girls into Bharat’s aviation sector. The initiative includes creating STEM labs at 150 locations to spark interest in related careers, providing scholarships to women training to be pilots, and supporting flight training curriculum and career development programs.
In summary, the inauguration event at Boeing’s new campus turned lively with PM Modi’s light-hearted remark aimed at CM Siddaramaiah. The occasion not only celebrated the expansion of Boeing’s presence in India but also highlighted the advancements in the country’s aviation sector and the government’s efforts to promote women’s participation in the field.
Comments