Modi, Spain PM to inaugurate C-295 plant in Vadodara

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez will inaugurate the “final assembly line” to manufacture the C-295 military aircraft at Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), Vadodara, on Monday. The facility will be the first private sector assembly line for military aircraft in India.

A total of 56 aircraft are to be manufactured at the cost of Rs 21,935 crore, under a joint venture between European major Airbus and Tata. Sixteen of the planes are being delivered by Airbus from Spain, and 40 will be manufactured in India.

Airbus, which delivered the first plane in September 2023, will complete the supply by August 2025. So far, six planes have been delivered to India.

The first plane from the Vadodara facility will roll out in September 2026 and the remaining by August 2031.

The C-295 is a versatile, new generation tactical airlift, which specialises in air transport missions under all types of weather conditions.

For the 40 aircraft to be made in India by the TASL, a substantial proportion of C-295 components, sub-assemblies and major component assemblies of aero structure are planned to be manufactured in India. Other than the aero engine and avionics, which are sourced by Airbus, 13,000 small and big parts needed in the C-295 will be produced in India.

Of the 37 companies identified by Airbus for manufacturing parts, 33 are MSMEs.