India's 1st private facility for making military aircraft takes wings

Vadodara : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Monday inaugurated the Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara, a facility which marks India's first private venture dedicated to the production of military aircraft, specifically the Airbus C295. During the inauguration, Modi highlighted the strengthening partnership between India and Spain, stating this project is a vital step in the 'Make in India, Make for the World' initiative.

He extended his best wishes to the teams at Airbus and Tata, while also paying tribute to the late industrialist Ratan Tata for his contributions. The Airbus C295, designed and initially manufactured by the Spanish aerospace firm CASA, which is part of Airbus Defence and Space, is a medium tactical transport aircraft capable of performing a variety of roles, including medical evacuations, disaster response, and maritime patrol missions.

Under the C295 programme, a total of 56 aircraft are to be delivered, with 16 being supplied directly by Airbus from Spain and the remaining 40 manufactured in India by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd, according to an official release. Modi and Sanchez toured an exhibition set up for the launch, where Modi showcased the factory as a representation of the new work culture in India. He pointed out that the facility, whose foundation stone was laid in October 2022, exemplifies the country's rapid progress from idea conception to execution.

The Prime Minister emphasised the government's commitment to eliminating delays in project planning and execution, recalling his experience with the establishment of the Bombardier train coach manufacturing facility in Vadodara during his tenure as Gujarat's Chief Minister. He expressed confidence that, similar to the success of the Bombardier facility, the Tata Aircraft Complex will also facilitate exports. Quoting Spanish poet Antonio Machado, Modi said "As we start treading towards the goal, the path towards the goal is created automatically," and highlighted the proactive nature of India's current trajectory in defence manufacturing.

The Congress took a jibe at PM Modi and the Eknath Shinde-led Mahayuti government, accusing them of a 'wholesale surrender' of Maharashtra's interests by allegedly directing the Tata-Airbus C-295 aircraft facility to Gujarat's Vadodara.

The Congress has claimed that the C-295 aircraft facility was originally intended to be set up in Nagpur but has now been inaugurated in Vadodara.