Modi and Sanchez launch India's first private plant for making military aircraft

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VADODARA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Monday inaugurated the Tata Aircraft Complex in Gujarat's Vadodara city, India's first private facility to build military planes, where C295 aircraft will be produced.

In the Vadodara plant, Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) will manufacture the C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF). The foundation stone of the Final Assembly Line (FAL) of the plant was laid in October 2022.

It will be the first facility in the private sector for military aircraft in India. The Airbus C295 is a medium tactical transport aircraft that was designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace company CASA, which is now a part of the European multinational Airbus Defence and Space division. The C295 can also be used for medical evacuations, disaster response, and maritime patrol duties.

Noting that the partnership between India and Spain is finding a new direction, PM Modi said the project would not only strengthen the relations between the two nations but also give momentum to the mission of 'Make in India, Make for the World'.

The C295 aircraft factory is a reflection of the new work culture of New India, Modi said, adding India's speed from idea to the execution of any project can be witnessed at the factory.

Emphasising the focus on eliminating unaccounted delays in the planning and execution of projects, Modi recalled the setting up of Bombardier train coach manufacturing facility in Vadodara as the chief minister of Gujarat. Metro coaches made in that factory are being exported, Modi said, and expressed confidence that the aircraft made in the facility inaugurated on Monday would also be exported.

Quoting the famous Spanish poet, Antonio Machado, Modi said: "As we start treading towards the goal, the path towards the goal is created automatically."