Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez inaugurated India’s first private-sector military aircraft manufacturing facility on Monday, marking a significant achievement in India’s defense production capabilities. Located in Vadodara, this Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus facility will produce the C-295 aircraft, a versatile airlift aircraft capable of transporting 71 troops or carrying 9.5 tonnes of payload to remote areas, including the Himalayas.
Spain’s commitment to technology transfer will enable India to build a robust aerospace ecosystem, with Airbus identifying 37 Indian companies, including 33 MSMEs, to manufacture 13,000 C-295 parts locally. The production of 40 aircraft domestically, alongside the assembly of 16 delivered directly from Spain, will result in 75% indigenous content by the project’s completion in 2031. Each aircraft will be equipped with an indigenously made Electronic Warfare Suite, reinforcing India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative. PM Modi highlighted this as a crucial step for India’s defense sector, noting a significant rise in defense exports from Rs 1,941 crore in 2013-14 to over Rs 21,000 crore in 2023-24, contributing to India’s expanding defense export market across more than 100 countries.
