European aerospace and defence group EADS said on Tuesday it would invest up to 2 billion euros ($2.57 billion) over the next 15 years in India in production and research and development facilities. India, Asia's fourth largest economy, is already a hub for global corporations to outsource software and engineering design services.
The country's booming civil aviation and defence sectors are also attracting dozens of overseas companies. "Over the next 15 years, the volume of investment and high tech activities generated, thanks to the EADS technology centre including the Airbus engineering centre and other co-operation programmes, will reach approximately 2 billion euros," a company statement said.
The technology centre had the potential to create 2,000 jobs in the Indian defence and aerospace sector, it said.
EADS, the maker of Airbus aircraft and Eurocopter, has longstanding ties with Indian military and defence research organisations.
EADS said its Eurofighter Typhoon combat aircraft was an "excellent candidate" for the Indian Air Force, which is looking to modernise its mainly Soviet-origin fleet by buying up to 126 fighter jets.