TATA-Airbus opens the C295 aircraft manufacturing facility in India
The aircraft can carry up to nine tonnes of payload at a maximum cruise speed of 260 knots.
In a major boost to India’s defence and aviation industries, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex in Vadodara, Gujarat, where the Airbus C295 aircraft will be manufactured.
“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 Final Assembly Line (FAL) in India. The inauguration comes three years after the Indian Air Force (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 Tata Advanced Systems Limited (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.”
According to Airbus, the C295 can carry up to nine tonnes of payload or up to 71 troops at a maximum cruise speed of 260 knots. It can reach cruising altitudes of up to 30,000 feet and offers impressive short take-off and landing (STOL) capabilities from unpaved, soft, sandy, or grass airstrips.
In addition to serving the IAF, the aircraft is also in service with various other air forces worldwide, including the Egyptian Air Force, Spanish Air and Space Force, Brazilian Air Force, and Royal Canadian Air Force.
This development follows the recent completion and unveiling of the first-ever ‘Made in India’ fuselage for the Airbus C295.
"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,” says N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons.
The final assembly line in Vadodara will integrate the manufacturing of detail parts, tooling, sub-assemblies, major component assemblies, and testing equipment. Component production for the C295 aircraft has already begun at the Main Component Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad. Parts for the first India-made C295 aircraft have been shipped to the Vadodara FAL, where the aircraft will be assembled and subsequently delivered to the IAF, mentions the official release.
“The inauguration of this final assembly line 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,” says Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.
The first 'Make in India' C295 aircraft is set to roll out from the Vadodara FAL in September 2026. Production will then ramp up to complete the delivery of 40 aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF) by August 2031, as per the 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, the release added.
The aircraft was also recently used for a trial landing at the under-construction Navi Mumbai International Airport, where it successfully touched down on the South runway.