NTI: India’s aspirations to manufacture large military aircraft in the private sector are on the verge of realization, with the final assembly line (FAL) at Tata Advanced Systems Ltd’s (TASL) facility in Vadodara set to become operational. This milestone is part of a $2.5 billion (over ₹21,000 crore) deal signed in 2021 with Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus DS) to supply 56 C-295 military aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spain’s Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez will inaugurate the Vadodara facility on October 28.
Currently produced at Airbus DS’s San Pablo Sur plant in Seville, Spain, the C-295 aircraft can transport up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, airdrop cargo, support medical evacuations, and operate on short, unpaved runways. Under the agreement, the initial 16 aircraft will be supplied from Spain, with the remaining 40 manufactured in India through a partnership with TASL.
Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for the Vadodara facility on October 30, 2022, marking a critical step toward India’s “Make in India” goals in aerospace. The plan involves importing engines and core machinery from Airbus DS while manufacturing key body components at TASL’s Main Constituent Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad. The FAL in Vadodara will then assemble these components, producing aircraft ready for flight.
The first “Made in India” C-295 is expected to be delivered by September 2026, with the final aircraft scheduled for handover to the IAF by August 2031. This facility will also provide maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services for the IAF’s fleet. According to Airbus DS, the C-295 is the leading aircraft in its class globally, known for its versatility, with 283 orders from 41 operators.
Airbus DS delivered India’s first C-295 in September 2023 and a second in May 2024, with 14 more to be delivered from Spain, maintaining a delivery rate of one aircraft per month until August 2025.
The C-295 will replace the IAF’s aging Avro Hawker Siddeley HS748 fleet, a twin-engine transport aircraft from the 1960s, enhancing India’s strategic airlift capabilities with a modern, versatile platform.
