India’s Jet Airways announced Wednesday it has received regulatory clearance from China and will begin daily San Francisco-Shanghai-Mumbai service June 14.

The one-way introductory fare hasn’t been set yet, but could be about $700-$750 to Mumbai, and $550-$600 to Shanghai.

“In the last nine months, we’ve started 11 international destinations,” said Anu Vivek, Jet Airways general manager for business development. “The expansion plans are really big.”

Jet Airways, which will operate Boeing 777-300ER aircraft on the flights, hopes to tap into the growing demand for travel to Asia, particularly among Bay Area residents going to the region for business and pleasure.

“There are few certainties in the travel industry, but one is the demand for Asia will continue to increase,” said Marc Casto, president of Santa Clara-based Casto Travel, which books $60 million a year in international tickets for corporate clients. “The thing I like about this is, any new carrier coming into this market puts pressure on the existing carriers to step up their performances,” he added.

Jet Airways, founded in 1992, has 81 aircraft and flies to 50 destinations. It has a three-year plan to expand its fleet by 40 percent. Like many foreign carriers, Jet Airways has a good reputation for service. While its brand is largely unknown in the United States, visitors to India know of its good reputation, as well as that of its Indian competitor, Kingfisher Airlines.

“It and Kingfisher are trying to outdo each other,” said aviation analyst Mike Boyd. Vijay Mallya, founder of Kingfisher Airlines and owner of United Breweries, “understands this. He understands if you treat people right, they might fly you rather than the other guy.”

Jet Airways’ international competition will include United Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Singapore Airlines and Taiwan-based EVA Airways, which also fly to India from San Francisco International Airport.

“There are something like 2.2 million Indians in this country, and over half are still Indian citizens,” Boyd said. “Their demographics are dynamite. Their income levels are 20 percent above the national average. You get a lot of what we call VFR traffic - visiting friends and relatives.”

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