Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing of C-295 aircraft at TATA advanced systems limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara, Gujarat on 28 October. This factory marks a historic milestone as it will be the first in India to manufacture military aircraft through a private consortium under the ‘Make in India’ initiative and with the support of the ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-reliant India) programme.
Noting the inauguration of the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft, Modi said that it would not only strengthen the relations between the two nations, but also give momentum to the mission of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. He underlined that the factory of C-295 aircraft is a reflection of the new work culture of New India and said that India’s speed from idea to the execution of any project in the country can be witnessed here. He also underlined that strategic decisions have spurred the growth of a vibrant defence industry in India over the last decade.
A boost to ‘Make in India’ and India-Spain cooperation!
The President of the Government of Spain, Mr. Pedro Sánchez and I inaugurated the aircraft complex in Vadodara, where the C-295 aircraft will be manufactured. #C295MadeInIndia @sanchezcastejon pic.twitter.com/pndM1PiLH5
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 28, 2024
“We expanded private sector participation in defence manufacturing, made public sector units more efficient, restructured ordnance factories into seven major companies, and empowered DRDO and HAL”, said Modi.
He said establishing defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu infused new energy into the sector. Touching upon Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme, the Prime Minister said that it has driven the growth of around 1,000 defence start-ups in the past five to six years. He informed that India’s defence exports have increased 30 times over the past decade, with the country now exporting equipment to over 100 countries.
The Prime Minister underlined that he was looking at today’s program beyond the manufacturing of transport aircraft and added that this ecosystem will also pave the way for Made in India civil aircraft in the future. Noting that various Indian airlines have ordered 1,200 new aircraft, Modi said that this only meant the newly inaugurated factory will play a major role from designing to manufacturing civil aircraft to meet the needs of India and the world in the future.
Earlier, in a post on X, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed the inauguration as a special day for the Indian aerospace industry. “The C-295 project is a huge accomplishment for the Indian private industry as it is the first project of its kind in which a complete military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. The project will give a big boost to India’s growing aerospace ecosystem,” he wrote.
Tomorrow, 28th October, is going to be a very special day for the Indian Aerospace industry.
PM Shri @narendramodi , along with his Spanish counterpart Mr. @sanchezcastejon will jointly inaugurate the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft in Vadodara.
The… pic.twitter.com/44oApxLiko
— Rajnath Singh (@rajnathsingh) October 27, 2024
TASL is responsible for making 40 aircraft in India. This facility becomes the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in the country. It will involve the full development of a complete ecosystem from the manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.
N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, said, “Tata Group is very proud in setting up this advanced facility which will manufacture the nation’s first private defence aircraft from the ground up. It will significantly enhance both defence and advance manufacturing capabilities”.
“The inauguration of this final assembly line (FAL) is a significant milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The C295 India programme demonstrates Airbus’ commitment to supporting India’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ in defence manufacturing. Aligned to this vision, this FAL will propel the advancement of the aerospace industrial ecosystem in the country, unlocking the potential for cutting-edge design, component manufacturing, aircraft assembly and services capabilities across the Indian value chain,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.
This facility has been built in less than two years. The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of C-295 aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara in October 2022. The pre-FAL production will start from December 2024 and the FAL assembly will start from October 2025.
Team BharatShakti