PM lays foundation stone of C-295 transport aircraft manufacturing facility – country’s 1st in private sector

way2barak, Oct.30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of C-295 transport aircraft manufacturing facility – the country’s first in the private sector – in Vadodara, Gujarat on October 30, 2022. The facility will manufacture C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) through collaboration between Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain. This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. The total cost of the project is Rs 21,935 crore. The aircraft can be used for civilian purposes as well.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister said that today we have taken a big step in the direction of making India the manufacturing hub of the world. He said India is making fighter jets, tanks, submarines, medicines, vaccines, electronic gadgets, mobile phones and cars that are popular in many countries. The Prime Minister remarked that India is moving forward with the mantra of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ and now it is becoming a huge manufacturer of transport aircraft. The Prime Minister stated that he can foresee that India will soon be manufacturing big passenger aircraft that will proudly bear the words ‘Made in India’.

Aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara is India's giant leap towards becoming self-reliant in aviation sector. https://t.co/0IL0aIS68r

— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) October 30, 2022

The Prime Minister added that the manufacturing facility has the power to transform the country’s defence and transport sector. He pointed out that it is for the first time that this big investment is taking place in the Indian Defence sector. Transport aircraft, manufactured at the facility, will not only strengthen the Armed Forces but also help in developing a new ecosystem of aircraft manufacturing “Vadodara, which is famous as a cultural and education centre, will develop a new identity as an aviation sector hub,” he said.  The Prime Minister expressed happiness about the fact that more than 100 MSMEs are also associated with the project. He said the promise of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ will gain new push from this land as the project will be able to take orders for export to other countries in the future.

In his address, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed the laying of foundation stone of the first manufacturing facility of the private sector as a major milestone in the journey of ‘Aatmanirbharta’ in defence. He congratulated TATA consortium, Airbus and other organisations associated with the project, lauding them for promoting the Swadeshi movement of Father of the Nation Mahatma Gandhi who hailed from Gujarat.

The Defence Minister described the C-295 as a state-of-the-art aircraft, with superior capabilities and global standards, that will unprecedently add to the logistical capability of the IAF. “It is a matter of utmost importance and great pride that all 56 aircraft will be fitted with indigenous Electronic Warfare Suite to be manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited & Bharat Dynamics Limited. Hundreds of MSMEs from across the country will be a part of this project. It is a shining example of meeting the requirements of the Armed Forces with collaborative efforts of the private sector and DPSUs,” he added.

Sixteen (16) aircraft will be delivered in flyaway condition. They are scheduled to be received between September 2023 and August 2025. Remaining forty (40) will be manufactured at the Vadodara manufacturing facility. The first Made in India aircraft is expected from September 2026.

The C-295 is a transport aircraft of 5-10 tonne capacity with contemporary technology that will replace the ageing Avro aircraft of IAF. Robust and reliable, it is a versatile and efficient tactical transport aircraft which can perform a number of different missions. The aircraft, 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.