Mumbai. Mahindra Group and Embraer are continuing preparatory discussions and planning activities regarding an industrial and support ecosystem for the C-390 Millennium in India, as the companies jointly pursue the Indian Air Force (IAF) Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme.
As part of their ongoing preparations, Mahindra and Embraer are working with the Government of Maharashtra and have identified Nagpur for a potential Final Assembly Line for Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft production in India. The proposed facility would support the local assembly and industrialisation of the aircraft in India, subject to the Embraer C-390 Millennium being selected by the Government of India and an order being placed under the IAF’s MTA programme.
The companies are working closely with the Maharashtra Government on completion of the associated processes, with the objective of ensuring that the required industrial infrastructure can be progressed expeditiously if the programme is awarded to the partnership.
Vinod Sahay, Member of the Group Executive Board, Mahindra Group, stated, “Mahindra is committed to building a globally competitive aerospace ecosystem in India and to creating meaningful manufacturing and technology capabilities that contribute to the country’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat ambitions. As we work with Embraer on the C-390 Millennium, we are preparing the industrial ecosystem required to support the programme at scale. Nagpur offers a compelling opportunity for such a capability, and we are very grateful to the Government of Maharashtra on expeditiously allotting the land in Nagpur and helping with the related requirements. These preparations are, of course, subject to the selection of the C-390 Millennium by the Government of India and the placement of the IAF order.”
Bosco da Costa Jr, President and CEO Embraer Defense & Security, said, “Embraer is pleased to deepen its partnership with Mahindra as we advance our preparations to bring the C-390 Millennium’s industrial capabilities to India. Identifying Nagpur as a potential location for an assembly facility is an important step in building a robust, long-term aerospace ecosystem in the country. We value the support of the Government of Maharashtra and look forward to working closely with our partners to strengthen India’s indigenous aerospace and defence capabilities, subject to the C-390 Millennium being selected for the Indian Air Force programme.”
The proposed Nagpur facility would be a state of the art facility in India bringing knowhow on aircraft assembly, system integration, manufacturing engineering, local supply chain development and others into the country. Subject to the programme award, the partnership intends to progressively integrate Indian aerospace companies into the C-390 Millennium ecosystem, to deliver manufacturing, aftermarket services, training and lifecycle support, in line with the Government of India’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat objectives.
Embraer and Mahindra entered into a Strategic Cooperation Agreement in October 2025 to jointly advance the C-390 Millennium for the IAF’s MTA programme, building on their earlier MoU signed in February 2024. The agreement envisages collaboration on industrialisation, local manufacturing, assembly, supply chain development and MRO activities in India. In February 2026, the companies also announced plans to work towards establishing a C-390 Millennium MRO capability in India, subject to the aircraft’s selection under the MTA programme.
The C-390 Millennium is a multi-mission military transport aircraft designed to perform a range of missions including troop and cargo transport, airdrop operations, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting and humanitarian missions. The aircraft has a payload capacity of up to 26 tonnes and is designed to operate from temporary or unpaved runways.
The proposed industrialisation programme would leverage Embraer’s aerospace engineering and aircraft manufacturing expertise with Mahindra’s established manufacturing capabilities and extensive Indian industrial ecosystem. The companies will continue to engage with the Government of India, the Indian aerospace ecosystem and the Government of Maharashtra as they progress preparations for the programme.
