A significant achievement for India's Aerospace & Defence sector took place with the inauguration of the Final Assembly Line (FAL) complex for the Airbus C295 aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat, India. Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus have joined forces for the innovative 'Make in India' initiative, aiming to supply 56 C295 aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The cutting-edge facility was officially opened by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi, and the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, in the presence of N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, and Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.
Marking a significant milestone for the 'AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) initiative by the Government of India, this marks the private sector's first establishment of an aircraft FAL in the country. The opening ceremony takes place three years following the IAF's approval of the procurement of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft to replace their existing AVRO fleet. Under the agreement, 40 units will be produced and put together in collaboration with TASL at this FAL, while Airbus will deliver 16 aircraft directly to the IAF from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain. To date, a total of six aircraft have already been handed over.
N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, said, "The Tata Group is very proud to set 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 advanced manufacturing capabilities.
I am thankful to Hon'ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón and the distinguished guests for joining us at this momentous occasion in India's indigenous manufacturing journey."
“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 ‘AatmaNirbhar 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.
The FAL will combine the production of detailed parts and associated tooling, sub-assemblies, major component assemblies, tools, jigs, and testers. Manufacturing of components for the C295 aircraft has commenced at the Main Component Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad. The initial components for the first C295 aircraft to be manufactured in India have been transported to the Vadodara FAL for assembly before being delivered to the IAF.
The first ‘Make in India’ C295 will roll out of the Vadodara FAL in September 2026, which will be a milestone for the Indian aerospace industry; and shall ramp up to deliver 40 aircraft to the IAF by August 2031, as required by the IAF contract.
India is now the primary purchaser of the C295, having bought 56 aircraft. Under the C295 'Make in India' initiative, over 85% of the structural and final assembly work for 40 aircraft will be done in India, along with the production of 13,000 detailed parts. To facilitate this, 21 special processes have been approved, and 37 suppliers from both the private and public sectors in India have been enlisted.
Airbus views India as a key resource centre where the company is broadening its presence in various industrial activities such as aircraft assembly, component production, engineering design and development, MRO support, pilot and maintenance training, and academic partnerships to enhance the skilled workforce. With an annual investment exceeding $1 billion, Airbus has established a strong and extensive supply chain in India for components and services, creating over 15,000 job opportunities. Furthermore, Airbus' engineering and digital centres in Bengaluru play a significant role in supporting all of Airbus' commercial and helicopter programs worldwide.
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