Vadodara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spain President Pedro Sanchez on Monday inaugurated the Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) facility for manufacturing C-295 aircraft in Gujarat's Vadodara.
A total of 56 aircraft are there under the C-295 programme, of which 16 are being delivered directly by Airbus from Spain and the remaining 40 are to be made in India. TASL is responsible for making the 40 aircraft. The facility is the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India.
Addressing the gathering on his maiden visit to India, a first by a Spanish President after 18 years, Sanchez announced that the first aircraft from TASL facility will be manufactured in 2026.
“Today we are not only officially inaugurating a cutting edge industrial facility. Today we’re also witnessing how an extraordinary project between two emblematic companies becomes a reality. Prime Minister Modi, this is another triumph of your vision. Your vision is to turn India into an industrial powerhouse and a magnet for investment and business. This partnership between Airbus and Tata will contribute to the progress of the Indian aerospace industry and will open new doors for the arrival of other European companies,” Sanchez said.
"In 2026, the first C295 manufactured in India will be produced by this plant in Vadodara. This aircraft is a symbol of the Spanish and European aeronautical industry. In addition to contributing to modernizing India's defence capabilities, it will also drive technological development, particularly for the state of Gujarat, India's leading manufacturing hub. Thousands of direct and indirect jobs will be created here and a new generation of highly qualified engineers and technicians will be trained...I come from a country where 99% of companies are macro small and medium enterprises. They play a very valuable role in promoting social and territorial cohesion," the Spain President said.
Sanchez said the project brings together "the best of two worlds". "Tata is probably the best exponent of Indian industrial strength. Its products and services are present in virtually every country on the planet. Tata is a giant among giants. As for Airbus, it embodies the very essence of a united Europe. Committed to technological innovation and the creation of jobs and prosperity. For my country, for Spain, being an integral part of the Airbus consortium, defending the values it represents. Values on which the very idea of Europe is based on cooperation, modernity and progress. After years of presence in India, where it has grown and boosted civil aviation, Airbus opened a new chapter in India's defence and space industry," he said.
"...In the late 1960s, the talented Paco deLucia and the great Indian musician Ravi Shankar brought our two countries closer through music. Together they managed to fuse Flamengo and Indian classical music, Spanish guitar, with the spirituality of the sitar. Perhaps they did not know it then, but they were building a bridge between cultures that would open the way to the future. A future that has the face of a project like this. This plant will be a symbol of industrial excellence, an engine of growth and a testament to the close and growing friendship."
'A new direction to India and Spain's partnership'
During his address, Prime Minister Modi said, "This is my friend Pedro Sanchez's first visit to India. From today, we are giving a new direction to India and Spain's partnership. We are inaugurating the production factory of C-295 aircraft. This factory will strengthen India-Spain relations as well as 'Make in India, Make for the World' mission ... "
Addressing the gathering, Modi said everyone has witnessed "unprecedented" growth and transformation in India's aviation sector in the last decade. "We are already working to make India an aviation hub. This ecosystem will pave the way for Made in India civil aircraft in the future. Various Indian airlines have placed orders for 1200 new aircraft... this factory is going to play a major role in the design and manufacturing of civil aircraft to meet the future needs of India and the world," he said.
The Prime Minister said the defence manufacturing ecosystem in India was "touching new heights". "If we had not taken concrete steps 10 years ago, it would have been impossible to reach this level today. At that time, no one could even imagine that there could be such large-scale defence manufacturing in India. But we decided to walk on the new path, set a new goal for ourselves. And today the result is before us," he said.