New Delhi: In a first-of-its-kind and a major thrust to the Made in India initiative, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, along with the visiting Spanish President Pedro Sanchez, jointly inaugurated the plant of C295 aircraft in Vadodara built by Tata Advanced Systems and Airbus Spain. This is the first Made in India aircraft to be rolled out from September 2026; more than 18,000 parts are to be Made in India and over 10,000 jobs will be generated across the country.
Prime Minister Modi met Spanish President Pedro Sanchez in Vadodara on Monday. The leaders held fruitful discussions on the entire spectrum of India-Spain ties, including in areas of trade and investment, IT and innovation, defence, security, renewable energy, pharma, culture and tourism.
"Out of the many outcomes of the visit, an agreement on cooperation in key sectors, including, infrastructure, railways, renewable energy, culture and tourism, was also signed between India and Spain.
MoU on Cooperation in Rail Transport
It will boost cooperation in the planning, design, development, commissioning and operation of infrastructure, stations, railway facilities and equipment covering both long-distance passenger and freight transport as well as urban and regional railway systems.
Both sides announced the year 2026 as the 'Spain Year of Culture, Tourism and AI'. The leaders emphasised strong institutions present on other sides and long-standing cultural exchanges, particularly with Spanish Indologists and Indian Hispanists.
The Cultural Exchange Programme for the year 2024-28 was signed to promote bilateral exchanges in music, dance, theatre, literature, museums and festivals. Agreement on Cooperation and Mutual Assistance in Customs Matters. It will facilitate the exchange of information for the prevention, detection, investigation and combating of customs offences.
Prime Minister Modi announced the Establishment of the Spanish Consulate in Bengaluru and the operationalisation of the Indian Consulate in Barcelona. India’s Consulate General in Spain at Barcelona was operationalised in August 2024.
India-Spain strategic partnership
India and Spain established diplomatic relations in 1956. The two countries have maintained cordial relations ever since. Spain is a constitutional monarchy with King Felipe VI as the current Head of State. In the Spanish system, the Head of the Government, the Prime Minister-equivalent, is called the President of the Government.
Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, the leader of the Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE), is the current President of Spain. This is the first visit by a Spanish President to India in 18 years. The last visit to India by a Spanish President took place in 2006 when President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero visited India.
King Juan Carlos I visited India in 2012 on a state visit. Prime Minister Modi visited Spain in 2017. PM Modi and President Sanchez have previously held meetings at the G20 summit in Buenos Aires in 2018 and in Rome in 2021. PM Modi and President Sanchez spoke on the telephone on February 15, 2023.
Meanwhile, the trade relations between the two countries are robust and growing. Bilateral trade stood at 9.9 billion USD in 2023, with India exporting 7.17 billion USD and importing 2.74 billion USD.
Spain is the 16th largest investor in India with a cumulative FDI stock of USD 4.2 billion (April 2000- June 2024). There are more than 230 Spanish companies active in India and around 80 Indian companies in Spain.
The Indian diaspora in Spain is 75,000 strong and is concentrated in Catalonia, Valencia, Madrid and the Canary Islands. The Consulate General of India, Barcelona has been operationalised while Spain plans to open its consulate in Bengaluru soon.
Furthermore, President Sanchez will also visit Mumbai where, apart from official engagements, he will interact with trade and industry leaders, think tanks and the film industry. President Sanchez will address the 4th Spain India Forum organised by the Spain India Council Foundation and the Observer Research Foundation
He will visit prominent film studios where he will interact with leading celebrities of Indian movie industries, to foster greater collaboration between the Indian and Spanish media & entertainment industries.
The visit underscores the importance attached by both countries to their bilateral partnership and the consistent upward trajectory of India-Spain relations in trade, investment, defence cooperation, education, technology, tourism, culture, and people-to-people ties.
Read more: Tata-Airbus C295 Aircraft Program: All About India-Spain Flagship Aviation Project
