Tata Airbus C-295 project a milestone for India’s private defence manufacturing: ‘13,000 parts to be made in India’

The C295 military aircraft would be India's first military asset to be produced by Tata Advanced Systems in Gujarat, Vadodara, the first private Final Assembly Line in the nation. Around 13, 000 parts of the aircraft are to be made in India, boosting the nation's reliance on indigenous defence equipment, said officials.

PM Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez, on Monday, inaugurated the Tata Airbus C295 facility, the first such private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India. “This ecosystem will pave the way for Made in India civil aircraft in the future. Various Indian airlines have placed orders for 1200 new aircraft...” said PM Modi, reported ANI.

The Tata Advanced Systems has been tasked with producing C-295 transport aircraft, replacing the existing Avro-748 planes in the Indian Air Force. The manufacturing unit is scheduled to complete the first unit of 40 C-295 transport aircraft by September 2026.

From component manufacturing and assembling to testing, qualification, delivery and maintenance, all the key stages of making the C295 aircraft would be completed in India.

'13,000 parts to be made in India'

“Other than the aero-engine and avionics, which are sourced by Airbus from other OEMs, the other structural parts will mostly be made in India. Of 14,000 detailed parts used in one aircraft, 13,000 would be made in India from raw material,” an official said about the C295 aircraft, PTI reported.

While 16 of these planes are scheduled to be delivered from Spain, 40 C295 aircraft will be assembled in the newly inaugurated Vadodara facility. The first locally produced aircraft will be completed by September 2026, with all 40 units scheduled for delivery by August 2031, said officials, reported PTI.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also hailed the project as a very special day for India stating, “The C-295 project is a huge accomplishment for the Indian private industry as it is the first project of its kind in which a complete military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company,” he posted on X.