Air India’s order to create 1 million jobs in US, as per Biden

Air India has placed an order for 220 aircraft from, Boeing, which is among the largest global aerospace manufacturers. US President Joe Biden said that the deal is going to help create one million jobs for Americans. Another order for 250 aircraft has been placed by Air India with Airbus, the world’s largest airliner manufacturer. 

Joe Biden’s statement thanking Air India and PM Modi has gone viral. Harsha Bhogle’s tweet on the deal and Biden’s statement garnered 3.5 million views on Twitter. “I hadn’t imagined a day would come when an American President would issue a statement that an order placed by an Indian company would lead to “one million American jobs over 44 states…” (sic),” the cricket commentator’s tweet said.

BJP leaders are showcasing the deals as an achievement. “Many of us were waiting for this day when Air India could order 470 aircraft in one go. 220 from Boeing and 250 from Airbus. No wonder the American President and French President were on call congratulating our Hon PM and Air India,” wrote Tamil Nadu BJP leader K Annamalai. He also alleged that, in the UPA era, aircraft orders were fixed based on commissions. “Aircraft were ordered not based on needs and the market’s potential but on the whims and fancies of the then aviation minister,” Annamalai wrote. 

Neutral commentators are saying that India’s voice will become more important now. “Many ways to look at this – Triumph of privatization or makings of a National Champion. More critically, Boeing and Airbus have tremendous sway in the corridors of power in Washington and Brussels and this order will make India’s voice harder to ignore by the powers that be,” wrote commentator Diva Jain.