Boeing appoints Rear Adm Surendra Ahuja to head Boeing Defence India
25 Jun 2019
New Delhi, India, June 25, 2019 - Boeing has appointed Rear Admiral (retd) Surendra Ahuja as managing director of Boeing Defence India (BDI).
Ahuja, based in New Delhi, will lead the execution of current and future programs across all BDI business sectors in a collaborative environment with Boeing Defense Space and Security (BDS) and Boeing Global Services (BGS). Ahuja will be responsible for delivering on Boeing’s commitments to its Indian defence customers while positioning it for new business opportunities. Ahuja will work closely with Salil Gupte, who was recently appointed as the leader and president of Boeing India.
Ahuja joins Boeing from the Indian Navy where he served as Rear Admiral before early retirement in 2018. He has held several leadership and operational roles with the Indian Navy, as well as an assignment with the US India Defence Trade & Technology Initiative (DTTI), where he led the joint working group of Aircraft Carrier Technology Cooperation from inception, in co-operation with the US Navy.
As a former Indian Navy Test Pilot, Ahuja has flying experience on 22 different types of aircraft. He also holds the distinction of becoming the first Indian pilot to fly from a US Navy aircraft carrier. He was awarded the Vishisht Seva medal in January 2018.