Southwest Airlines Launches First Global Innovation Centre Outside U.S. in Hyderabad
Hyderabad, May 20 (TNT): Southwest Airlines on Wednesday launched its first-ever Global Innovation Centre outside the United States in Hyderabad through its wholly owned subsidiary, Southwest Airlines India Private Limited, further strengthening the city’s emergence as a global aviation and technology hub.
The new facility was inaugurated by Telangana IT and Industries Minister D. Sridhar Babu in the presence of Southwest Airlines executives, including Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer Lauren Woods and Vice President & Global Head of Innovation (India) Krishna Kallepalli.
The Hyderabad centre will function as a strategic technology and enterprise hub supporting engineering, digital operations, AI/ML, cybersecurity, data analytics and next-generation product development for the airline’s global operations.
According to the company, the Hyderabad Global Innovation Centre is expected to scale up to more than 1,000 high-skilled engineers and technology professionals in the coming years.
During the inauguration, Telangana government representatives, including IT Advisor Sai Krishna, held discussions with Southwest Airlines executives, regarding the company’s long-term expansion plans in Hyderabad.
Speaking on the occasion, Sridhar Babu said Hyderabad had evolved into one of India’s leading aviation, aerospace and deep-tech hubs and was increasingly emerging as a strategic centre where aviation, defence, space-tech and advanced engineering sectors were converging.
He said Southwest Airlines’ decision to establish its Global Innovation Centre in Hyderabad reflected the city’s growing global significance in mobility, aerospace and next-generation technology innovation.
The Minister also highlighted that several multinational companies had recently chosen Hyderabad for their first innovation centres in India, including BASF, Vanguard, Marriott International, HCA Healthcare and Hartford.
Lauren Woods said Hyderabad offered one of the world’s deepest talent pools in analytics, engineering and innovation, making it an ideal destination for Southwest Airlines’ long-term technology and operational expansion plans.
Krishna Kallepalli said the Hyderabad facility would help build capabilities across AI, next-generation engineering and enterprise operations to support Southwest Airlines’ global growth strategy.
According to the release, Hyderabad currently hosts over 450 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) employing more than 1.35 lakh professionals across sectors such as technology, healthcare, aerospace, semiconductors and advanced engineering.
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