Airbus names Jürgen Westermeier as President and Managing Director for India and South Asia region
Airbus, a leading global aerospace manufacturer, has announced that Jürgen Westermeier will take on the role of President and Managing Director for India and South Asia, effective September 1, 2025. In this new position, Westermeier will oversee Airbus' business in the region across Commercial Aircraft, Defence and Space, and Helicopters.
Jürgen Westermeier joins Airbus with a wealth of experience, having served as the Executive Vice-President and Chief Procurement Officer since 2020. During his tenure, he has forged strong partnerships with suppliers and led the development and application of procurement processes and tools across the company.
Westermeier's responsibilities in his new role will expand to include services, engineering, digital, innovation, and training initiatives in the region. A key focus will be advancing Airbus' commitment to the 'Make in India' initiative, supporting localized manufacturing and industrial partnerships aligned to this vision.
Under Westermeier's leadership, Airbus' strategic plans for India and South Asia include driving commercial aircraft sales and significantly expanding the company's footprint across the region.
Boosting Aircraft Sales and Deepening Collaborations
In the sector of Commercial Aircraft, Westermeier will lead commercial aircraft sales to Indian and regional airlines, where over 450 Airbus aircraft have already been ordered. He will further growth by expanding services, engineering, and innovation capabilities in the region to support the commercial aviation sector.
Airbus has a longstanding collaboration with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on space programs, which Westermeier is expected to support and deepen in the Defence and Space sector. In the Helicopters sector, production of Airbus’ best-selling H-125 civil helicopter is done in India for domestic use and export within South Asia. Westermeier will oversee further expansion of helicopter business and innovation in the region, leveraging local assembly and engineering capabilities.
Reinforcing Local Industry Development
Beyond products, Airbus under Westermeier aims to grow its presence in digital aerospace services, engineering innovation, and skill development programs in South Asia to support long-term sustainable growth of the aerospace ecosystem. The company's focus on local industry development is evident in its current partnership with Tata, where Airbus manufactures the military transport aircraft C-295 in India. The Airbus-Tata joint venture also operates a final assembly line in India for the civil H-125 helicopter.
Westermeier's appointment follows Rémi Maillard, who will become Executive Vice-President Engineering for Commercial Aircraft and Head of Technology at Airbus. Prior to joining Airbus, Westermeier held strategic positions at BMW, including roles in Information Services, Motorcycles Purchasing, Quality Management, Supplier Network, and Cost Engineering. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from the University of Karlsruhe, Germany.
In summary, Airbus under Jürgen Westermeier is pursuing a comprehensive strategy in India and South Asia that spans boosting aircraft sales, deepening defence and space collaborations, expanding helicopter manufacturing and exports, and reinforcing local industry development through Make in India, digital innovation, and training across Airbus’ business units.
In his new role, Jürgen Westermeier will leverage his extensive experience in finance and industry to lead Airbus' commercial aircraft sales efforts, focusing on strengthening partnerships with Indian and regional airlines and expanding services, engineering, and innovation capabilities in the Commercial Aircraft sector.
Furthermore, Westermeier is expected to reinforce Airbus' partnerships with local industries, especially in the aerospace sector, through strategic collaborations such as the joint venture with Tata for the manufacturing of the C-295 military transport aircraft in India and the final assembly line for the civil H-125 helicopter.
