Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish PM Pedro Sánchez inaugurated the new C-295 aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat—a collaborative project between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus Defence and Space. This first-of-its-kind private sector plant in India is set to manufacture 40 of the 56 C-295 medium-lift transport aircraft ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF), while the remaining 16 will be imported from Spain. Designed to strengthen India’s defense sector, these aircraft offer versatile air transport support for operations requiring mobility across different terrains.
The late Ratan Tata, a visionary in Indian industry, originally conceptualized this project, which aligns with India’s defense self-reliance goals. The Tata Group’s commitment includes training Indian engineers in Spain and working with local suppliers to support the supply chain, projecting India as an emerging exporter of military aircraft and reinforcing its strategic defense autonomy.
