Flying High

Whether creating history by becoming the first Indian pilot to fly from a US Navy aircraft carrier or setting a record of sorts by flying over 20 varieties of aircraft, former Indian Navy Official who served in the capacity of Rear Admiral Surendra Ahuja, has several remarkable feats to his credit. The recipient of the Vishisht Seva Medal has now joined the corporate world by assuming the responsibility of Managing Director, Boeing India. In this interview, he shares his experiences about the prospects of the growing presence of Boeing in Indian defence and its contribution in strengthening the Indian armed forces. He also travels back in time to reflect on his life both as a pilot and a naval officer while comparing it to life in the corporate sector

"The Indian armed forces invest heavily in the training of their officers for the role they need to perform while in service. But if someone wishes to transition to the corporate for their second innings, it is recommended that they familiarise themselves with all that is needed to manage businesses through a formal training programme"

Best office in the world — fighter’s cockpit

What defence business has Boeing done in India and, in your opinion, what lies ahead on this front?

Ever since the Indian defence market opened up to western products, Boeing has done the maximum business among all western companies. I believe that this is simply because the Indian armed forces have liked our products and we have continued to provide the requisite service. Boeing is proud to have contributed to the modernisation of the Indian defence forces and continues to strive for continued performance. The Boeing products that the Indian armed forces are using today include the C-17s (Globemas-ters), P-8Is (Poseidons), CH-47(I)s (Chinooks), AH-64Es (Apaches) and the Harpoon missile. We are also playing a significant role in the training of C-17 aircrew as also in the follow-on-support of C-17 and P-8I aircraft. Boeing has been a strong partner in the mission readiness and modernisation of the country’s defence forces. Our proven portfolio of products and services offer unmatched operational capability across the entire mission spectrum.

Boeing continues to work with the Indian armed forces to meet their future requirements. We are currently working with the Indian Army for the likely requirement of Apache helicopters and with the Air Force and the Navy for their future fighter acquisition programmes. We are also in conversation with the Air Force for training and follow-on-support for Chinooks and Apache fleets.

Boeing is also participating in the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ policy. We have a joint venture with Tatas in Hyderabad that goes by the name of Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), where we make Apache fuselages, not only for India’s requirement but also for the rest of the world.

As a veteran from the Forces, how important do you think it is to acquire enhanced training in business concepts and strategies over and above the qualifications that are gathered during service? How did you gear up for the daunting role of the Managing Director of Boeing?

The Indian armed forces invest heavily in the training of their officers for the role they need to perform while in service. But if someone wishes to transition to the corporate for their second innings, it is indeed recommended that they familiarise themselves with all that is needed to manage businesses through a formal training programme. I was a fighter pilot in the Navy before I took early retirement in the rank of Rear Admiral early last year. But I underwent a business management programme with the Chicago Booth School of Business, University of Chicago, before I transitioned as the Managing Director of Boeing Defence India.

‘Do not rest on your laurels. Up-skill yourself. Be sure of your capabilities. Know your worth. Do not settle’

How was your transition from the uniformed services to the corporate sector? What challenges did you face?

I have had a smooth transition to the corporate sector perhaps because I had prepared myself reasonably well for it. It would be wrong to say, however, that I had no challenges whatsoever or even that all challenges are over. But, what’s life without challenges? As long as one stays humble, as long as one is ready to learn from one’s team irrespective of one’s position in the team, the ecosystem is willing to accept you. In fact, if you are humble, the team respects you more for your experience.

Do you think that the Defence Forces prepared you well for the second innings?

Absolutely. And, as I mentioned earlier, one should be willing to fill in the gaps for a corporate career through investment in one’s own career.

In India, veterans were initially hired only in security and admin roles. But now the thought process has changed. What do you think has catalysed this change?

I am glad that this has happened. I would give the credit of this change to the armed forces personnel themselves rather than the corporates.The corporates will hire you in senior corporate management positions only if you bring value to the company. If they have started hiring armed forces personnel in management positions, it simply suggests that they see value in hiring them in those positions.

Do veterans enjoy a higher respect in corporate circles?

They do. But, it also depends upon what exactly they bring to the table. If you are valuable to the company, you automatically earn the respect of your team.

‘With the fleet of 11 C-17s, the Indian Air Force is indeed the largest operator of the Globemaster outside the United States. Also, the Indian Navy, with six more P-8Is that have been recently approved by the Defence Acquisition Council, will have a total fleet of 18 P-8Is making them the largest operator of P-8Is outside the United States’

How is life different in the corporate vis-à-vis the military and what changes have you observed post the transition?

Life is quite different in the corporateas it must be. To start with, unlike the armed forces, most meetings in corporates are virtual. There are physical meetings as well, but they are rare. Then, there are no files. That should come as a pleasant surprise to most in the armed forces.

In the services there’s no bottom-line to worry about-one instead needs to stay focused on the Unit’s/Formation’s preparedness. In the corporate, it’s all about the bottom-line. Social life in the corporate is certainly not at the same level as in the services.

Overall, it’s a mixed bag. As you would imagine, one does indeed miss the services but there’s plenty that’s new and enjoyable in the corporate career as long as one is quick to pivot to the new ways.

For veterans, the corporate world would seem to be undisciplined at the beginning, mainly because in military life, discipline has a different connotation. Would you agree? Do you think you had to unlearn some of your ingrained attributes so as to adjust to the corporate way of life?

I am not sure if I had this experience since the corporate world is disciplined too. There is equal focus on time, respect and other attributes of discipline. Yes, one needs to get used to being referred to by one’s first name. The term ‘sir’ is rarely used in the corporate particularly in the MNCs. And, respect doesn’t necessarily flow from one’s seniority. I would say, this is true for the armed forces also but this is more so in the corporate. But frankly, I don’t have any problem with any of these differences.

India is the largest operator of Boeing’s C-17 Globemaster III internationally. Boeing’s Chi nooks and Apaches are the latest additions to the IAF’s arsenal. Not to forget the P-8Is of the Navy. What are the other areas where Boeing is venturing to increase its presence in India?

You are right. With the fleet of 11 C-17s, the Indian Air Force is indeed the largest operator of the Globemaster outside the United States. Also, the Indian Navy, with six more P-8Is that have been recently approved by the Defence Acquisition Council, will have a total fleet of 18 P-8Is making them the largest operator of P-8Is outside the United States. As I mentioned earlier, we expect to soon contribute to the Apache programme for the Army and hopefully, fighters for both the Navy and the Air Force. Boeing is also looking to contribute to the warfighting capabilities of the services by helping them with training and follow on support for Chinooks and Apaches. Boeing also looks forward to expanding in other areas that we have just started exploring. If we are successful, you will get to hear from them soon.

‘As long as one stays humble, as long as one is ready to learn from one’s team irrespective of one’s position in the team, the ecosystem is willing to accept you. In fact, if you are humble, the team respects you more for your experience'

What do you think Boeing offers to the Indian defence and economy that is different from other players in the market?

It’s about Boeing’s decision to invest in India. You may be surprised to learn that The Boeing Company is investing in India more than anywhere else in the world. Boeing has what we refer to as the Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC) in Bengaluru where we are supporting Boeing’s worldwide engineering, R&D, IT and digital analytics and avionics growth. We have hired some 2500 engineers who work there and we are hiring more. We also have some 600 engineers in our facility in Chennai who works on similar programs. Currently, we are constructing a new Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus on 44 acres of land close to the Bangalore International Airport where we are creating space for some 6000 odd engineers to work. I have already told you about TBAL in Hyderabad where we are making Apache fuselages. This is real ‘Make in India’.

Further, Boeing has been working with the Indian industry and customers to lay the building blocks of creating an indigenous Aerospace & Defence ecosystem whether it is growing the supplier base in India, nurturing innovation, establishing skills development centres or setting up joint ventures for aerospace manufacturing.

Today, we have more than 160 suppliers providing advanced, complex components and subassemblies for our commercial and defence aircraft as part of an integrated global supply chain. These parts and assemblies cover critical components such as aerostructures, wire harnesses, composites, forgings, avionics, mission systems and ground support equipment for Boeing’s commercial and defence aircraft. Each year we source components worth some $1 billion from Indian suppliers.

Boeing has also accelerated efforts to set up a local sustainment support footprint in India to enhance responsiveness on local sustainment and training contracts.

To answer your question, I would think it’s our products that provide the cutting edge technology to the end-user and the company’s alignment with the Indian government’s policies that endears Boeing to India more than others.

As an experimental test pilot, you would have been living on the edge while putting your life at stake during each flight. How do you see yourself settling down in the comparatively low-risk profile in the corporate sector?

I wish I could do the test flying stuff all life-long. But, all good things must come to an end. And, so they did for me. In the services, one is rarely able to do this sort of flying beyond a particular age and rank. That said, the corporate life has its own adventures. These ‘adventures’ are of a different kind but life can get quite challenging and one can get adrenaline rush here as well. So, it’s fun.

‘The Boeing Company is investing in India more than anywhere else in the world. It has the Boeing India Engineering and Technology Center (BIETC) in Bengaluru where we are supporting Boeing’s worldwide engineering, R&D, IT and digital analytics and avionics growth. We have hired some 2500 engineers who work there and we are hiring more. We also have some 600 engineers in our facility in Chennai who work on similar programmes. Currently, we are constructing a new Boeing India Engineering & Technology Center (BIETC) campus on 44 acres of land close to the Bengaluru International Airport where we are creating space for some 6000 odd engineers to work. At TBAL in Hyderabad we are making Apache fuselages. This is real ‘Make in India’’

What do you, as a former test pilot and a former Rear Admiral, bring to the table that adds value to what Boeing stands for today in India? With respect to Boeing’s vision and your interests, where do the twain meet?

This question would be best answered by The Boeing Company senior leadership that hired me. I am sure that they saw value in someone who knows the business of flying and also knows the Indian armed forces and the Indian system. Customer knowledge is valuable in any business.

Being a test pilot is one of the most demanding and dangerous professions. What propelled you towards this decision?

This job keeps me in close proximity of developments in the aerospace sector-something that I love. And, given that Boeing is the world’s best aerospace company, this wasn’t a difficult decision. I would say, this is the next best thing after Test Flying. And, as I mentioned earlier, one can do test flying in the armed forces only until a particular stage.

A fighter pilot can never live without the adrenaline surge one gets while flying. You have flying experience on 22 different types of aircraft as also the distinction of being the first Indian pilot to fly from a US Navy aircraft carrier. Do you plan to keep in touch with the flyboy in you during your second innings?

I would love to keep in touch with flying. Unfortunately, India doesn’t have an infrastructure where one can easily pursue flying as a hobby. But, I wouldn’t mind going back to flying small planes at least once or twice a month by flying down to some flying club in the vicinity of Delhi. Some dreams here...but, who knows?

‘Life is quite different in the corporate as it must be. To start with, unlike the armed forces, most meetings in corporates are virtual. There are physical meetings as well, but they are rare. Then, there are no files. That should come as a pleasant surprise to most in the armed forces.In the services there’s no bottom-line to worry about-one instead needs to stay focused on the Unit’s/Formation’s preparedness. In the corporate, it’s all about the bottom-line. Social life in the corporate is certainly not at the same level as in the services. Overall, it’s a mixed bag. As you would imagine, one does indeed miss the services but there’s plenty that’s new and enjoyable in the corporate career as long as one is quick to pivot to the new ways’

We are sure you have a bucket-load of tales to tell. Can you tell us your most memorable moments as a pilot?

Surendra Ahuja Welcoming the Commanding Officer of a
visiting foreign Navy warship

I am reminded of a few incidents that were somewhat of close calls. I will recount one to give you a taste of them. This was on a Sea Harrier. I was doing my fourth-night solo landing on the carrier which typically leads to Night Deck Landing Qualification. For context, I believe that landing a jet on a carrier by night is one of the most difficult and, perhaps, also one of the most dangerous things humankind has ever done. The carrier was operating close to the Goa coast where there was a lot of fishing, necessitating the carrier to alter course often to avoid colliding with a fishing boat. While I was descending on the glide path for the landing, the carrier had to alter course a number of times making my job to descend on the optimum glide path difficult. This is certainly not normal. Ordinarily, the carrier steers a steady course while an aircraft is on ‘finals’. In ordinary circumstances, I should have decided to ‘go around’ early enough in the approach and should have either made another attempt to land or divert to Goa airfield. I suppose the desire to finish the fourth landing and get ‘qualified’ by night kept me from making the right decision. I stuck with my efforts to land. That led to my having to stay in V/STOL regime and eventually, hover for a long time. A Harrier uses a lot of fuel when in V/STOL regime/hover because one is on a very high throttle setting in this phase of flight. Even though I eventually landed safely, I was left with just two minutes worth of fuel after which the engine would have flamed out. The low-level fuel warning lights had come on during the last minutes of the flight but at that time it had already become impossible to divert. While people appreciated the fact that I kept my ‘cool’ in those trying last few minutes and eventually had a safe landing, I ‘deservedly’ got a dressing down from my Commanding Officer for not having made an early decision to ‘go around’ and divert ashore. The night deck landing qualification could have been obtained another day. That was indeed a close call.

Another thing that might be worth mentioning is the fantastic experience I had raised the first formation aerobatic team for the Indian Navy aboard the Kiran Mk II aircraft in 2003. We called the team ‘Sagar Pawan’. Wikipedia has interesting details of it. The team was, however, disbanded in 2009 when the Indian Navy decommissioned the aircraft.

Any words of advice to our readers who are contemplating to shift from the military to the corporate world?

Just a few words. Do not rest on your laurels. Up skill yourself. Be sure of your capabilities. Know your worth. Do not settle.