Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex in Vadodara, Gujarat, marking a big step forward in India’s aerospace goals. This facility, a collaboration between TATA Advanced Systems Limited and Airbus Defence and Space in Spain, will produce 40 C-295 aircraft to replace the Indian Air Force’s ageing Avro-748 fleet.
During the ceremony, Prime Minister Modi emphasised the plant’s future significance in exports, saying, “The Tata-Airbus manufacturing facility will enhance India-Spain relations and support the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ mission.” He also praised Ratan Tata, the former chairman of Tata Sons, for his pivotal role in realising the project, which Modi first unveiled in October 2022 by laying the facility’s cornerstone.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez emphasised the strategic importance of this collaboration, saying that it will boost India’s aerospace industry and attract more European enterprises. “This project underscores our shared commitment as strategic partners,” he said, adding that it will “open new doors” for European cooperation.
The C-295, a powerful new-generation transport aircraft with a cargo capacity of 5 to 10 tonnes and an 11-hour flying endurance, is designed for all-weather, multi-role missions in a variety of locations, from deserts to maritime zones, hence strengthening India’s defence capabilities.
