K’taka govt delegation meets Boeing, GE and IMF officials in US

Bengaluru, Sep 27 (IANS) Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries, M.B. Patil held a series of meetings with senior management representatives of Boeing Co, GE Group companies, USISPF, and deputy managing director of International Monetary Fund (IMF) Gita Gopinath, and discussed various investment aspects and partnerships in the state, an official release said on Wednesday.

As part of their 12-day US visit to attract investment into the state that kicked off on Monday, the Minister along with senior officials of the industries department also discussed strategies to anticipate and address imbalances in the skilled labor force with the IMF.

The minister also discussed possibilities of potential collaboration in the upskilling of the workforce in AI/ML with GE Healthcare. 

M.B. Patil had a meeting with Gita Gopinath to discuss potential partnership and investment opportunities in the state. During his meeting with Boeing Co, the Minister discussed the company’s ongoing involvement in end-assembly manufacturing, and R and D within the state.

The delegation also explored options for potential investments in logistics centres, P2F (passenger-to-freight) conversions, and pilot and crew training centres near Karnataka’s airports. Government assessment of the high aviation fuel tax in Karnataka to maintain a favourable aerospace ecosystem was also on the table for discussion.

Boeing Co was represented by Greta Lundeberg, Vice President of International Operations and Policy, Government Operations, and Nicole Porreca, Director of International Operations and Policy, Government Operations. The airplane maker is globally renowned for its design, manufacture, and sale of its aircraft, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites, telecommunications equipment, and missiles.

Meetings with GE Healthcare and GE Vernova led to recommendations for New Industrial Policy regarding policy scope, eligibility criteria, and incentive disbursement structure and exploring investment opportunities for pump storage projects to allow storage of excess solar, wind, or other sources for periods of high demand, respectively.

The Minister along with the team of senior officials also discussed at the US-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) on investor interest in the upcoming health tech park near the new Bengaluru airport and strategies to boost medical tourism in the state.

Both sides explored potential partnerships for leveraging blockchain technology to address certain e-governance or municipal challenges, along with discussions on training curricula for Industry 4.0 skills.

M.B. Patil is leading the delegation in the USA along with senior officials of his department, S Selvakumar, Principal Secretary, Department of Commerce and Industries, and Gunjan Krishna, Commissioner for Industrial Development and Director, Industries and Commerce.