Vadodara: As a major milestone for India’s Aerospace and Defence industry, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus inaugurated the Final Assembly Line (FAL) complex for the Airbus C295 aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat in India. TASL and Airbus are partnering for the pioneering ‘Make in India’ project to deliver 56 C295 aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Narendra Modi and the President of the Government of Spain, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón in the presence of N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.
Providing a major boost to the Government of India’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) programme, this is the first instance of the private sector setting up an aircraft FAL in India. The inauguration comes three years after the IAF formalised the acquisition of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft to replace their legacy AVRO fleet. As per the contract, 40 units will be manufactured and assembled in partnership with TASL at this FAL, while 16 will be delivered to the IAF in ‘fly-away’ condition from Airbus’ final assembly line in Seville, Spain. To date, a total of six aircraft have already been delivered.
Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons, said, “The Tata Group is very proud in setting up this advanced facility which will manufacture the nation’s first private defence aircraft from the ground up. It will significantly enhance both defence and advance manufacturing capabilities. I am thankful to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón and the distinguished guests for joining us at this momentous occasion in India’s indigenous manufacturing journey.”
“The inauguration of this final assembly line (FAL) is a significant milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The C295 India programme demonstrates Airbus’ commitment to supporting India’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in defence manufacturing. Aligned to this vision, this FAL will propel the advancement of the aerospace industrial ecosystem in the country, unlocking the potential for cutting-edge design, component manufacturing, aircraft assembly and services capabilities across the Indian value chain,” said Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.
The FAL will integrate manufacturing of detail parts and related tooling, sub-assemblies, major component assemblies, tools, jigs and testers. The production of components of the C295 aircraft have already started in the Main Component Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad. The parts for the first C295 aircraft to be made in India have been shipped to the Vadodara FAL, where the aircraft will be assembled and then delivered to the IAF.
The first ‘Make in India’ C295 will roll out of the Vadodara FAL in September 2026, which will be a milestone for the Indian aerospace industry; and shall ramp-up to deliver 40 aircraft to the IAF by August 2031, as required by the IAF contract.
India has become the largest customer for the C295, with the acquisition of 56 aircraft. The C295 ‘Make in India’ programme will produce more than 85% structural and final assembly of 40 aircraft along with the manufacturing of 13,000 detail parts in India, for which 21 special processes have been certified and 37 India-based suppliers, both from the private and public sectors, have been onboarded.
For Airbus, India is a strategic resource hub where the company is expanding its industrial footprint with aircraft assembly, component manufacturing, engineering design and development, MRO support, pilot and maintenance training as well as academic collaboration to foster human capital. Airbus invests more than $1 billion every year in a robust and comprehensive supply chain in India for components and services, generating more than 15,000 jobs. Additionally, Airbus India’s own engineering and digital centres in Bengaluru contribute to all the commercial and helicopter programmes of Airbus globally.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited, a wholly owned subsidiary of Tata Sons, is a significant player for aerospace and defence solutions in India. Tata Advanced Systems offers a full range of integrated solutions across: Aerostructures and Aeroengines, Airborne Platforms and Systems, Defence and Security, and Land Mobility. Tata Advanced Systems has a strong portfolio of partnerships and joint ventures with leading global aerospace and defence firms, making it an integral partner in the international supply chain and in some instances, a global single source provider for leading aerospace and defence OEMs.
With the requisite capabilities, resources and scale, Tata Advanced Systems is equipped to deliver end-to-end innovative solutions throughout the entire aerospace and defence value chain from design to full platform assembly, and is well positioned in areas that include satellites, missiles, radars, unmanned aerial systems, artillery guns, command and control systems, optronics, homeland security and land systems, in addition to aircraft and helicopters.
Airbus pioneers sustainable aerospace for a safe and united world. The company constantly innovates to provide efficient and technologically-advanced solutions in aerospace, defence, and connected services. In commercial aircraft, Airbus offers modern and fuel-efficient airliners and associated services. Airbus is also a European leader in defence and security and one of the world’s leading space businesses. In helicopters, Airbus provides the most efficient civil and military rotorcraft solutions and services worldwide.
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