A production plant that will manufacture major components for India’s C-295 transport planes is going live in Hyderabad this month, marking a significant milestone for India. This is the first time India will produce aircraft of this size. The first of the 56 military transporters ordered by the Air Force will be delivered in September from a production line in Spain, but work to make 40 of these aircraft in India starts this month. Tata is partnering with Airbus to produce the aircraft, and the project is expected to create at least 15,000 highly skilled jobs in India, along with an additional 10,000 secondary jobs over the next decade.
The main constituent assembly production is set to start at a Tata facility later this month. The first Indian-made C-295 aircraft is expected to roll out from the final assembly line at Vadodara in 2026. Airbus stated that the project will create at least 15,000 highly skilled jobs in India and an additional 10,000 secondary jobs over the next decade. The ₹21,935 crore contract includes the manufacture of 16 transport aircraft in Spain, with the remaining 40 being manufactured in India with technology transfer.
Officials mentioned that work is currently underway to create the final assembly line at Vadodara, which is expected to be operational by mid-next year. Jean-Brice Dumont, Head of Military Air Systems at Airbus, said that the first aircraft is ready and delivery is planned for September. He also mentioned that this effort is an unprecedented one in the Make in India campaign. Airbus has never done a full production line anywhere in the world, making this the most complex transfer of work the company has undertaken.
For the first time, Airbus is setting up a production line for military transport aircraft outside of Europe, with a high level of technology transfer and localization of parts and components. Indian companies will manufacture close to 14,000 parts that go into the C-295 supplied to the Indian Air Force and potentially the global fleet of over 250 aircraft. Jorge Tamarit, Head of C-295 India at Airbus, highlighted that this is an unprecedented move for Airbus and that they have never done a full production line anywhere in the world. He also mentioned that this is the most complex transfer of work the company is undertaking.
India has previously produced various aircraft domestically in partnership with foreign technology providers but this is the first time production under such a high level of technology transfer is taking place for a larger aircraft of the 9-10 tonne category. Around 96% of the work currently done by Airbus in Spain to manufacture the aircraft will be shifted to the Vadodara factory after it goes live late next year. Airbus, with over 2,750 employees in India, is also looking to expand and co-develop military systems in the country.
