New Delhi [India], December 8 (ANI): President of Pratt and Whitney, Shane Eddy, on Monday hailed the firm's 70-year partnership with India, saying 500 of the nation's aircraft are powered by their engines.

Addressing the Pratt and Whitney Centennial Reception program in New Delhi, Shane Eddy termed the company a 'proud supporter' of the Indian Air Force.

He said, 'A hundred years ago, our founder, Frederick Rentschler, founded Pratt and Whitney with an idea. The idea was that the best aeroplanes would always be designed around the best engines, and that idea really revolutionised the industry. His first engine demonstrated a step change in performance over the reliability and performance of liquid-cooled engines of the day.'

'India has been part of that journey for over 70 years. 70 of our hundred years. We've been a proud supporter of the Indian Air Force's growth ever since, ushering in the jet age first with the Boeing 707 powered by our JT-3 engine, and then 500 aircraft we power in India today,' he added.

Pratt and Whitney designs and innovates aircraft engines, and according to its website, the firm has more than 85,000 engines in service and approximately 17,000 customers worldwide. The firm completed 100 years in 2025, since it was founded in 1925 by Frederick B Rentschler.

Addressing the gathering, Rick Deurloo, Chief Commercial Officer of Pratt and Whitney, called India critical for its commercial engine business. He said that India has been an early adopter of the GTF engines

Deurloo said, 'It's nice to be back in Delhi, where we celebrate our centennial and honour our decades-long partnership here in India. India is a critically important customer for our commercial engine business. We are proud to support the growth of its aviation industry. I can't tell you how important India is for commercial engines and how important it is to our future. When India looked to expand its transatlantic reach, our JT9D engines were there to power the queen of the skies, the 747.'

'India was an early adopter as well of the GTF engine, with its game-changing technology enabling the most fuel-efficient engine in the single-aisle market. The GTF architecture really is built on a 100-year engine with its legacy of innovation and will be the cornerstone for the next generation of engines we do in commercial engines,' he said.

Ashish Saraf, Country Head of the firm, said, 'We are, for a century, committed to innovation and excellence, a legacy that has been shared with our partners in India. With the strength of our global team, including our dedicated colleagues in India, we are poised to continue pioneering advancements in aviation for the next century.' (ANI)