With the country aiming for double-digit growth, Boeing expects India to order up to 1,320 new passenger aircraft in the next 20 years for as much as $150 billion, stimulating strong demand for new and replacement aircraft. Releasing the latest outlook for the Indian market, Boeing India President Dinesh Keskar says, ”Robust growth with new economic prosperity amongst a massive Indian population, discretionary incomes, business progress and access to airports will increase airplane demand.”

NEW DELHI — India will test fire an air-launched variant of the supersonic Brahmos cruise missile before the end of 2012, “so that it can be inducted into the Indian air force,” says Brahmos Aerospace CEO A. Sivathanu Pillai. Various types of aircraft, including Sukhoi Su-30 MKI fighters, are expected to be armed with these missiles. Brahmos already has been inducted into the army and the navy. The submarine-based version will have the same capabilities as earlier variants and be designed to strike at both land and sea targets.

NEW DELHI — India plans to launch the GSAT-12 communications satellite onboard a Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV-C17) on July 15. “Preparations . . . are progressing well at Satish Dhawan Space Centre, Sriharikota,” an Indian Space Research Organization (ISRO) official says. The launch vehicle and the satellite were built by the Bengaluru-based ISRO.