by: Nav Jeevan

PM Modi, his Spanish counterpart inaugurate Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara

NE BUSINESS BUREAU
VADODARA, OCT 28

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Monday jointly inaugurated the Tata Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft in Gujarat’s Vadodara.

Earlier, the duo held a roadshow in Gujarat’s Vadodara city on Monday morning as they travelled in an open jeep and greeted people standing on both sides of the route.

Both the PMs waved at the crowd gathered along the 2.5-km stretch of the route from the airport to the Tata aircraft complex in the city.

  • Modi pays tribute to former Tata Sons chairman Ratan tata, who is said to be the brains behind the project
  • The aircraft manufactured at the Vadodara facility will also be exported in the future: Modi
  • Sanchez, at the event, announces that the first aircraft from the Tata facility will be manufactured in 2026
  • I will fail in my duty if I forget to mention that this project was originally conceived more than a decade ago, in 2012, by the then Tata Sons Chairman, Ratan Tata Ji: Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran

Modi and Sanchez were greeted with performances by various artists showcasing India’s rich culture as they proceeded towards the Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) facility here.

Sanchez landed in Vadodara around 1.30 am as he began his maiden official visit to India. He is scheduled to visit Mumbai on Tuesday before returning to Spain.

The two leaders will also visit the historic Laxmi Vilas Palace, where they will hold a bilateral meeting organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). They will have lunch at the palace before proceeding to their respective destinations, officials said.

A total of 56 aircraft are to be developed under the C-295 program. Of these, 16 are being delivered directly by Airbus from Spain, while the remaining 40 are to be made in India. TASL is responsible for manufacturing these 40 aircraft in India. This facility will be the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India.

Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, PM Modi said the aircraft manufactured at the Vadodara facility will also be exported in the future.

“The Tata-Airbus manufacturing facility will strengthen the India-Spain relations and the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ mission,” PM Modi, who laid the foundation stone of the FAL plant of C-295 aircraft in Vadodara in October 2022, said.

He also paid tribute to former Tata Sons chairman Ratan tata, who is said to be the brains behind the project. Mr Tata died at the age of 86 earlier this month.

Sanchez, at the event, announced that the first aircraft from the Tata facility will be manufactured in 2026.

At the event, Tata Sons chairman N Chandrasekaran said the project was originally conceived by Ratan Tata in 2012.

“I will fail in my duty if I forget to mention that this project was originally conceived more than a decade ago, in 2012, by the then Tata Sons Chairman, Ratan Tata Ji, who led the whole concept to build a relationship with Airbus and created this partnership with Airbus and laid the foundation stone for this opportunity. So, I would like to remember him for his visionary leadership in this very path-breaking initiative,” he said.

It will involve the full development of a complete ecosystem, from manufacturing to assembly, testing and qualification, delivery, and maintenance throughout the complete life cycle of the aircraft, according to officials.

Apart from the Tatas, leading defence public sector units, such as Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics, as well as private micro, small, and medium enterprises, will contribute to this program.

The C-295 is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the Indian Air Force’s ageing Avro-748 planes. The C-295 is known to be a superior aircraft used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft.

The aircraft, called “robust and reliable”, with a flight endurance of up to 11 hours, can carry out multi-role operations under all weather conditions.

It can routinely operate day as well as night combat missions from desert to maritime environments.

It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para-dropping of troops and cargo. Short take-off/land from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its features.