Airbus and GSV Open Centre of Excellence for Sustainable Aerospace

10 Feb 2026 CW Team

The CoE will prioritise research and development into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), including projects that explore conversion of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into aviation fuel, and will support student led innovations in future aerospace technologies. The facility, announced in 2024, was inaugurated by Jurgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia, in the presence of Her Highness Rajmata Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad and Professor Manoj Choudhary, Vice Chancellor of GSV.

Since 2024, Airbus and GSV have pursued a comprehensive partnership to mature the building blocks of an integrated aerospace ecosystem in India. The collaboration includes a full scholarship programme for 45 meritorious and underprivileged students, with one third of the awards reserved for women, the establishment of an Airbus Chair Professor for Aerospace Studies to anchor academic excellence, and a Joint Study Agreement that provides grants for R&D into locally sourced circular solutions for aviation fuel.

Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, established as a central university by an Act of Parliament in 2022, is mandated to cover the entire transportation sector and to cultivate industry driven, skill oriented curriculum across railways, aviation, highways, ports, maritime and inland waterways. The partnership with Airbus is being positioned as a template for industry academic cooperation that aims to build highly skilled human capital and support the national vision for a self reliant economy by 2047 through ecosystem development and capacity building.

Airbus inaugurated a Centre of Excellence for aerospace studies at Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) in Vadodara, Gujarat, marking a new phase in industry academia collaboration. The centre is intended to strengthen India's aerospace ecosystem through sustained research, innovation and talent development across the transportation and logistics domain. The CoE will prioritise research and development into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), including projects that explore conversion of Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into aviation fuel, and will support student led innovations in future aerospace technologies. The facility, announced in 2024, was inaugurated by Jurgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia, in the presence of Her Highness Rajmata Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad and Professor Manoj Choudhary, Vice Chancellor of GSV. Since 2024, Airbus and GSV have pursued a comprehensive partnership to mature the building blocks of an integrated aerospace ecosystem in India. The collaboration includes a full scholarship programme for 45 meritorious and underprivileged students, with one third of the awards reserved for women, the establishment of an Airbus Chair Professor for Aerospace Studies to anchor academic excellence, and a Joint Study Agreement that provides grants for R&D into locally sourced circular solutions for aviation fuel. Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya, established as a central university by an Act of Parliament in 2022, is mandated to cover the entire transportation sector and to cultivate industry driven, skill oriented curriculum across railways, aviation, highways, ports, maritime and inland waterways. The partnership with Airbus is being positioned as a template for industry academic cooperation that aims to build highly skilled human capital and support the national vision for a self reliant economy by 2047 through ecosystem development and capacity building.

Infrastructure Urban

09 Apr 2026

Mineral Auction Rules Amended To Speed Mine Operationalisation

The Ministry of Mines notified the Mineral (Auction) Second Amendment Rules, 2026 on 30 March 2026 to accelerate operationalisation of mines and improve ease of doing business in the mining sector. The amendment follows a prior change to the Mineral (Auction) Rules, 2015 effected on 17 October 2025 that introduced intermediary timelines between issuance of a letter of intent (LoI) and execution of the mining lease. The 2025 change provided that one per cent of performance security would be appropriated for each month of delay by the preferred bidder and introduced incentives for early operatio..

Infrastructure Transport

09 Apr 2026

Indian Railways Strengthens Telecom And AI Safety Systems

Indian Railways strengthened its telecom and digital infrastructure during 2025-26 with the aim of improving safety, operational efficiency and the passenger experience. The programme promoted modernisation through advanced technologies, robust communication systems and passenger-centric solutions. These measures were presented as part of a drive to build a digitally integrated rail ecosystem. A key development was the enhancement of the Internet Protocol Multi-Protocol Label Switching (IP MPLS) backbone, commissioned at 1,396 stations to meet bandwidth needs of mission-critical applications. ..

Infrastructure Transport

09 Apr 2026

NHAI Holds Workshop on Litigation Management and Coordination

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) organised a day-long workshop in New Delhi to strengthen capacity and interdepartmental synergy for faster execution of national highway projects. The event was held under Mission Karmayogi – Sadhana Saptah, an initiative of the Government of India to enhance governance through capacity building and improved processes. The workshop focused on structured and solution oriented deliberations to address implementation constraints. The session was chaired by the NHAI chairman Santosh Kumar Yadav and brought together senior officials from NHAI, the M..