By In a significant step towards bolstering India’s defense and aerospace manufacturing capabilities, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez, inaugurated the country’s first private military aircraft plant on Monday.
The Tata Aircraft Complex, located in Gujarat state’s Vadodara city, will produce the Airbus C-295 transport military aircraft in collaboration with Airbus Spain. The aircraft will be deployed by the Indian air force, marking a major milestone in India’s efforts to grow local manufacturing in its defense and aerospace industries.
Sanchez, who was welcomed with a roadshow in Vadodara where hundreds of people cheered and waved banners, praised the project as a triumph of Modi’s vision to transform India into an industrial powerhouse and attract international investment and collaboration. He added that the partnership between Airbus and Tata would contribute to the progress of the Indian aerospace industry and pave the way for other European companies to enter the market.
Under the $2.5 billion deal signed in 2021, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain, with six already delivered to the Indian air force. Tata Advanced Systems Ltd will produce the remaining 40 aircraft at the Vadodara plant, which is expected to roll out the first Made-in-India C-295 aircraft in 2026.
The C-295 aircraft can transport up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers and will be able to access remote locations. It can also be used for medical evacuations, disaster response, and maritime patrol duties.
Since taking office in 2014, Modi has been committed to turning India into a global manufacturing hub across various sectors, including infrastructure, pharmaceuticals, and defense. As part of this effort, the government has sought to grow the private defense manufacturing sector, which was previously dominated by government-run organizations, and has eased foreign direct investment regulations to encourage companies to establish themselves in India.
The visit by Sanchez, the first by a Spanish leader to India in 18 years, will also include talks with Modi to review bilateral ties and a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar. On Tuesday, Sanchez will travel to Mumbai, India’s financial capital and home to Bollywood, to interact with trade and industry leaders and visit film studios to explore collaboration opportunities between the Indian and Spanish entertainment industries.
Bilateral trade between India and Spain stood at nearly $10 billion as of 2023, with more than 200 Spanish companies actively operating in India and around 80 Indian companies in Spain. The two leaders are expected to sign agreements to further boost ties and cooperation in various areas, including trade, information technology, renewable energy, and defense.
The inauguration of the Tata Aircraft Complex marks a significant step forward in India’s ambitious plans to become self-reliant in defense manufacturing and strengthen its position as a global aerospace hub.
apnews
