Modi, Sanchez unveil facility to manufacture military aircraft

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

Noting that the partnership between India and Spain is finding a new direction, 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'.

Modi conveyed his best wishes to the team of Airbus and Tata, and also paid tributes to late Ratan Tata.

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.

Modi and Sanchez took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion of the facility launch.

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, whose foundation stone was laid in October 2022.

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.“

Noting that India's defence manufacturing ecosystem is scaling new peaks, Modi said that if concrete steps were not taken 10 years ago then it would have been impossible to reach this destination.

A decade ago, the priority and identity of defence manufacturing was about import and none could imagine that defence manufacturing could take place on such a large scale in India, Modi said.

“Our government decided to walk on a new path and set new goals for India, whose results are evident today,” he said.

The transformation of India's defence sector exemplifies how a right plan and partnership can turn possibilities into prosperity, Modi said.

Stressing skilling and job creation, Modi said projects like the Tata-Airbus factory will create thousands of jobs. He said the factory will support indigenous manufacturing of 18,000 aircraft parts, providing immense opportunities for MSMEs across India.

India is among the largest suppliers of parts for the world's major aircraft companies, Modi said, adding the new aircraft factory will give a big boost to new skills and new industries in India.

Highlighting the “unprecedented growth and transformation” of India's aviation sector in the last decade, Modi said the government was providing air connectivity to hundreds of small cities in the country, while simultaneously working to make India a hub of aviation and MRO domain.

He said this ecosystem will pave the way for the Made in India civil aircraft in the future.

Noting that various Indian airlines have ordered 1200 new aircraft, Modi said the newly inaugurated factory will play a major role from designing to manufacturing civil aircraft to meet the needs of India and the world.

Modi also mentioned Father Carlos Valles, a Spanish-Indian Jesuit priest and author, who lived in India for five decades and authored various books on mathematics in Gujarati.

Father Valles had enriched the culture with his thoughts and writings, Modi said, adding the Indian government had honoured him with Padma Shri award for his contribution.

Under the C295 programme, 56 aircraft are to be delivered out of which 16 are being delivered directly by Airbus from Spain and remaining 40 are to be made in India by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, an official release said.