Bengaluru, Jan 19 (IANS): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that India has three times more women pilots than the world's average.

“Among the Indian pilots, 15 per cent are women. This is three times more than the world average,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said while speaking at the launch of the Boeing Sukanya Programme.

He also inaugurated the Boeing India Engineering and Technology Centre (BIETC), the largest facility outside the US.

“India is leading the world as far as women pilots are concerned,” Modi said.

He said that it is the government's resolve to encourage the participation of women in every sector of the country.

“You have seen our conviction during the G20 summit. We have told the world that the time has come for women-led development. We are trying to create new opportunities for women in the aviation and aerospace sectors,” Modi said.

He said that through the Boeing Sukanya programme, the participation of women in the aviation sector will improve further.

“The dreams of daughters who are poor and living in remote areas of becoming pilots will come true,” Modi said.

He said that many government schools in the country will receive career coaching and development facilities.

“Few months ago, you witnessed how India’s Chandrayaan reached where no country has reached. This success has boosted the scientific temper of Indian youth,” Modi said.

He said that India is also a hub of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) education.

He said that girls, in large numbers, are studying science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.

“One of the global leaders asked me whether Indian girls study and like STEM subjects. I explained to him that in our country, female students in these streams are more than boys. It was a surprise for him,” PM Modi recalled.

He said that in the last decade, India’s aviation market has completely transformed and every stakeholder in the Indian aerospace industry is upbeat.

“From manufacturing to services, each stakeholder is exploring new avenues. India has become the third-largest domestic aviation market in the world,” he said.

He said that in the last decade, the number of domestic travellers in aviation has more than doubled and schemes like Udaan have played an important role in this.

He said that India is becoming one of the well-connected markets in the world.

“In 2014, there were close to 70 airports in India. Today, there are about 150 operational airports in the country. We not only built new airports but also increased their efficiency by many folds,” he said.

He said that due to the increase in India’s market capacity, the air cargo sector has also received a boost.

“The products of India are reaching international markets easily. The rapidly growing aviation sector is contributing towards India’s overall progress and employment generation,” he said.