The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Spain, Mr Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft  at TATA advanced systems limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara, Gujarat today. Both Prime Ministers also took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion.

Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that it is the Prime Minister of Spain, Mr Pedro Sanchez’s first visit to India and the partnership between the two countries is finding a new direction today. Noting the inauguration of  the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft, the Prime Minister said that it would not only strengthen the relations between the two nations but also give momentum to the mission of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. Shri Modi conveyed his best wishes to the entire team of Airbus and TATA on the occasion. The Prime Minister also paid his tributes to Late Shri Ratan Tata ji.

The Prime Minister underlined that the factory of C295 aircraft is a reflection of the new work culture of New India and said that India’s speed from idea to the execution of any project in the country can be witnessed here. Recalling the foundation stone laying of the factory in October 2022, the Prime Minister said that the facility is now ready for production of C295 aircrafts. Emphasizing the focus on eliminating unaccounted delays in the planning and execution of projects, the Prime Minister recalled the setting up of Bombardier Train Coach manufacturing facility in Vadodara as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and said that factory was ready in record time for production. “Metro Coaches made in this factory are being exported to other nations today”, he added. Shri Modi expressed confidence that the aircrafts made in today’s inaugurated facility would also be exported.

Quoting the famous Spanish poet, Antonio Machado, the Prime Minister remarked that as we start treading towards the goal, the path towards the goal is created automatically.  Noting that India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem was scaling new peaks today, Shri Modi said that if concrete steps were not taken 10 years ago then it would have been impossible to reach this destination today. He added that a decade ago, the priority and identity of defence manufacturing were about import and none could imagine that defence manufacturing could take place on such a large scale in India. The Prime Minister remarked that the Government decided to walk on a new path, set new goals for India, whose results are evident today.

The Prime Minister said that India’s transformation of the defense sector exemplifies how a right plan and partnership can turn possibilities into prosperity. He underlined that strategic decisions have spurred the growth of a vibrant defense industry in India over the last decade. “We expanded private sector participation in defense manufacturing, made public sector units more efficient, restructured ordnance factories into seven major companies, and empowered DRDO and HAL”, said Shri Modi. He said establishing defense corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu infused new energy into the sector. Touching upon iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) scheme, the Prime Minister said that it has driven the growth of around 1,000 defense startups in the past five to six years. He informed that India’s defense exports have increased 30 times over the past decade, with the country now exporting equipment to over 100 countries.

The Prime Minister laid emphasis on skilling and job creation and said that projects like the Airbus-Tata factory will create thousands of jobs. He said that the factory will support indigenous manufacturing of 18,000 aircraft parts, providing immense opportunities for MSMEs across India. Noting that India is one of the biggest suppliers of parts for the world's major aircraft companies even today, Shri Modi said that the  new aircraft factory will give a big boost to new skills and new industries in India.

The Prime Minister underlined that he was looking at today's program beyond the manufacturing of transport aircraft. Highlighting the unprecedented growth and transformation of India's aviation sector in the last decade, Shri Modi remarked that India was providing air connectivity to hundreds of small cities in the country, while simultaneously working to make India a hub of aviation and MRO domain. He added that this ecosystem will also pave the way for Made in India civil aircraft in the future. Noting that various Indian airlines have ordered 1200 new aircraft, Shri Modi said that this only meant the newly inaugurated factory will play a major role from designing to manufacturing civil aircraft to meet the needs of India and the world in the future.

Noting that Vadodara City was a stronghold of MSMEs, Shri Modi remarked that the city will act as a catalyst in these efforts of India. He added that the city also had a Gatishakti University, which was preparing professionals for different sectors of India. The Prime Minister also noted that there were many companies related to many sectors like the pharma sector, Engineering and Heavy Machinery, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Power and Energy Equipment in Vadodara. He added that now this entire region was also going to be a major hub of aviation manufacturing in India. Shri Modi congratulated the Government of Gujarat and its Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and his entire team for their modern industrial policies and decisions.

Noting that Vadodara was also an important cultural city of India, Shri Modi said he was elated to welcome all the friends from Spain. “The cultural connect between India and Spain has its own importance”, stated the Prime Minister. He remarked that Father Carlos Valle had come from Spain and settled in Gujarat and spent fifty years of his life. He further added that Father Valle had enriched the culture with his thoughts and writings. Shri Modi stated that he also had the good fortune of meeting Father Valle and the Government of India honored him with Padma Shri for his great contribution.

Shri Modi noted that yoga was highly popular in Spain too and Spanish football was also liked in India. Remarking about the football match between Real Madrid and Barcelona clubs which took place yesterday, Shri Modi said that Barcelona's great victory was a topic of discussion in India too and the fervor of the fans of both the clubs was same in India as it is in Spain. Throwing light on India and Spain’s multifaceted partnership, the Prime Minister said, “Whether it's food, films, or football, our strong people-to-people connect has always strengthened our ties.” Shri Modi expressed happiness that India and Spain have decided to celebrate 2026 as the India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism, and AI.

Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that today's event will inspire many new joint collaboration projects between India and Spain. He extended an invitation to the Spanish industry and innovators and encouraged them to come to India and become partners in the country's development journey.

Governor of Gujarat, Shri Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister of Gujarat, Shri Bhupendra Patel, Union Minister for Defence, Shri Rajnath Singh and Union Minister for External Affairs, Shri S Jaishakar were present on the occasion among others. 

Background

Under the C-295 program, a total of 56 aircrafts are to be delivered out of which 16 are being delivered directly by Airbus from Spain and remaining 40 are to be made in India.

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd is responsible for making these 40 aircrafts in India. This facility becomes the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India. 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.

Apart from Tatas, leading defence public sector units such as Bharat Electronics Ltd. and Bharat Dynamics Ltd, as well as private Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises will contribute to this program. Earlier in October 2022, Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone for the Vadodara Final Assembly Line (FAL).

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