Boeing expects close to 500 commercial airplane orders valued at 36 billion dollars from India over the next 20 years, its Senior Vice-President (Sales) Dinesh S Keskar, said on January 31.

"From India, as per our estimates, Boeing expects about 492 civilian airplane over the next twenty years... The order size would be around USD 36 billion," he told reporters in Mumbai.

About 80 per cent of this airplane requirement would be for smaller regional jets, while the rest would be for the wide-bodied aircraft, he said.

In 2005, Boeing had received 101 firm order from India, including Air-india, Jet Airways, Spice Jet and the Indian Air Force.

"Last year, we received firm orders worth USD 15 billion from India," Keskar said.

The Seattle-based aircraft maker also said it will be revising its India forecast in the second quarter of the current year.

"Last year we made a forecast of 370 airplanes valued 25 billion USD which we revised to 470... we will be revising considering the market scenario," he added.

( www.hindu.com)