C-295 aircraft facility big step to become truly ‘Aatmanirbhar’: Chandrasekaran

Vadodara:  Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for a C-295 transport aircraft manufacturing plant here, expressing hope that soon passenger aircraft will be manufactured in India with the ‘Make in India’ tagline.

The C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be manufactured by Tata-Airbus with an investment of Rs 20,000 crore.

Speaking on the occasion, TATA Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said, “With the setting up of the Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara, the Tata Group will now be able to take aluminum ingots at one end of the value stream and turn it into am Airbus C295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force. This is a historic moment not only for the Tata Group, but for the entire country, as it embraces the Prime Minister’s vision of being truly ‘Aatmanirbhar’.”

Guillaume Faury, Chief Executive Officer of Airbus, said, “It is a moment of pride and honour for the company to be part of the aerospace in India and the company’s airbus teams are committed to support the modernisation of the Indian Air Force with the C295 programme, which will also contribute to the development of the private defence manufacturing sector in India.”

In September 2021, India had formalised the acquisition of 56 Airbus C-295 aircraft to replace the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) legacy AVRO fleet.

It is the first ‘Make in India’ aerospace programme in the private sector involving the development of a complete industrial ecosystem — from manufacturing to assembly, testing and qualification to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.

The first 16 fly-away C-295MW aircraft are scheduled to be received between September 2023 and August 2025. The first ‘Make in India’ aircraft is expected from September 2026.

C-295MW is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the IAF’s ageing Avro aircraft. It has a rear ramp door for quick reaction and para dropping of troops and cargo. Short take-off/landing from semi-prepared surfaces is another of its features. The aircraft will strengthen the logistic capabilities of the IAF.

–IANS