Boeing and India’s Bharat Forge Ltd. (BFL) announced the first shipment of titanium flap-track forgings made by BFL for Boeing’s next-generation 737. BFL will also supply forgings for the 737 MAX, which is scheduled to enter into service in 2017. BFL intends to expand its capabilities to offer higher-value machining and manufacture of assemblies in the future. BFL is the only forging company in India to be included in Boeing’s globally approved vendor list for titanium forgings.

“Shipment of the first titanium forging from India is a significant step toward building a capable and competitive supply chain in India for Boeing, said Pratyush Kumar, president of Boeing India.

Baba Kalyani, BFL’s chairman and managing director, said, “In addition to continuallyh enhancing and upgrading our capabilities, we will also pursue merger and acquisition options, especially for machining and assembly, to accelerate our progress to become a significant player in the global aerospace component business.”