Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated India’s first private military aircraft plant on Monday, marking a significant milestone in India’s ambition to bolster its local defense and aerospace manufacturing capabilities, Al Jazeera reports.
Sanchez, who was welcomed with a floral parade alongside Modi, lauded the project as a new chapter in India’s defense and space industry. The plant, a collaborative venture between Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus, is located in Vadodara, Gujarat, Modi’s home state.
The inauguration marks a key step in the implementation of a $2.5 billion deal signed in 2021 for the procurement of 56 C-295 aircraft from Airbus Defence and Space. While the first 16 aircraft will be assembled in Seville, Spain, with deliveries commencing last year, the remaining 40 will be built in India.
The Vadodara plant is expected to complete its first “Made in India” C-295 aircraft in 2026. The aircraft, capable of transporting up to 71 soldiers or 50 paratroopers, will be vital for India’s defense needs. Its ability to access remote locations, along with its utility for medical evacuations, disaster response, and maritime patrol duties, makes it a versatile addition to the Indian military.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of the Tata conglomerate, hailed the launch as a historic day for India’s defense sector, crediting the late Ratan Tata, the “titan” of Indian business, for conceiving the idea over a decade ago.
Sanchez’s visit, the first by a Spanish premier to India in 18 years, signifies Spain’s growing interest in investing in the world’s fifth-largest economy. Spain, the 16th-largest foreign investor in India, with over 280 Spanish companies operating in the country, sees promising opportunities in sectors like construction, pharmacy, energy, and railways. Bilateral trade between the two nations is robust, reaching $9.9 billion in 2023.
Sanchez will travel to Mumbai, India’s financial capital, on Tuesday to meet with trade and industry leaders and visit film studios to explore collaborations in the Indian and Spanish entertainment industries.
