Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, Oct 28: The Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Monday jointly inaugurated the Tata Advanced System Limited Airbus Facility in Vadodara in Gujarat to manufacture C-295 military aircraft, which is the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India.
While Mr Modi said the project would not only strengthen the India-Spain relationship but also “boost our mission of ‘Make in India, Make for the World,’ Mr Sanchez said the plant summarises the bilateral relations between Spain and India and added that the partnership between Airbus and Tata would contribute to the progress of the Indian aerospace industry and would “open new doors” for the arrival of other European companies.
A total of 56 aircraft are there under the C-295 programme of which 16 are being delivered directly by the aircraft manufacturing company Airbus from Spain, and the remaining 40 will be built at the facility. It will involve the full development of a complete ecosystem from the manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft. The Ministry of Defence in 2021 signed a ₹ 21,935-crore contract with Airbus Defence and Space SA, Spain for the supply of 56 aircraft. The first aircraft will be ready to roll out from this final assembly line in 2026.
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. All 56 aircraft under the agreement will also be fitted with an indigenous Electronic Warfare suite manufactured by Indian DPSUs – Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
India and Spain also signed several Memorandums of Understanding (MOUs) during the bilateral meeting. A MoU on rail transport was signed for cooperation in planning, design, development, commissioning and operation of infrastructure, stations, railways facilities and equipment of long distance passenger and freight networks as well as urban and regional railway systems, an official release said.
Speaking at the inauguration ceremony, Mr Modi said the aircraft manufactured at the Vadodara facility would 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,” Mr Modi, who had also laid the foundation stone of the FAL plant 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. “Recently, we lost the country’s great son Ratan Tata ji. If he had been among us today, he would have been happy, but wherever his soul is, he would be happy,” he said.
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.
Addressing the inauguration ceremony, Spanish PM Pedro Sanchez said “This project brings together the best of two worlds. Tata is probably the best exponent of Indian industrial strength. Its products and services are present in virtually every country on the planet. Tata is a giant among giants,” he said. “This project strengthens our industrial ties while underlying our country’s deep commitment as a reliable and strategic partner,” Mr Pedro added. This plant will be a symbol of “industrial excellence, an engine of growth and a testament to the close and growing friendship”, he said.
Mr Modi also said a strong people-to-people connect has always strengthened ties between India and Spain. “While yoga is highly popular in Spain, Spanish football is liked in India,” Modi said after he and Mr Sanchez inaugurated the Tata Aircraft Complex, while Mr Sanchez said the two countries “are moving forward by promoting industrial and technological collaboration.” “The Airbus and Tata Advanced plant will be a symbol of industrial excellence, an engine of growth and a testament to the close and growing friendship between our countries,” he said.