Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems inaugurate C295 Final Assembly Line in India

October 28, 2024 in Business, Companies by Editor

European airframer Airbus and joint-venture partner Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) today inaugurated a Final Assembly Line (FAL) complex for the Airbus C295 military airlifter in Vadodara, Gujarat, marking a major milestone for the Indian defence industry.

The facility which will deliver 56 C295 military transports for the Indian Air Force (IAF), under the pioneering ‘Make in India’ project, was inaugurated by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish President, Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón. Also present were N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.

The FAL was set up under the Modi government’s AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) programme, and marks the first time the private sector is setting up an aircraft FAL in India. The inauguration comes three years after the IAF formalised the purchase of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft to replace their legacy AVRO fleet. Under the terms of the contract, 40 units will be manufactured and assembled in partnership with TASL at this FAL, while 16 will be delivered to the IAF in ‘fly-away’ condition from Airbus’ final assembly line in Seville, Spain. So far, a total of six aircraft have already been delivered.

“The Tata Group is very proud in setting up this advanced facility which will manufacture the nation’s first private defence aircraft from the ground up. It will significantly enhance both defence and advance manufacturing capabilities. I am thankful to Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Hon’ble Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón and the distinguished guests for joining us at this momentous occasion in India’s indigenous manufacturing journey,” said N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons.

The FAL will integrate manufacturing of detail parts and related tooling, sub-assemblies, major component assemblies, tools, jigs and testers. The production of components of the C295 aircraft have already started in the Main Component Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad. The parts for the first C295 aircraft to be made in India have been shipped to the Vadodara FAL, where the aircraft will be assembled and then delivered to the IAF.

Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn, hailed the inauguration as a “significant milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing. The C295 India programme demonstrates Airbus’ commitment to supporting India’s vision of ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ in defence manufacturing. Aligned to this vision, this FAL will propel the advancement of the aerospace industrial ecosystem in the country, unlocking the potential for cutting-edge design, component manufacturing, aircraft assembly and services capabilities across the Indian value chain.”

The first ‘Made in India’ C295 will roll out of the Vadodara FAL in September 2026, and shall ramp-up to deliver 40 aircraft to the IAF by August 2031, as required by the IAF contract. With 56 airframes on order, India has become the largest customer for the C295.

The C295 ‘Make in India’ programme will produce more than 85pc structural and final assembly of 40 aircraft along with the manufacturing of 13,000 detail parts in India, for which 21 special processes have been certified and 37 India-based suppliers, both from the private and public sectors, have been onboarded.

For Airbus, India is a strategic resource hub where the company is expanding its industrial footprint with aircraft assembly, component manufacturing, engineering design and development, MRO support, pilot and maintenance training as well as academic collaboration to foster human capital. Airbus invests more than $1 billion every year in a robust and comprehensive supply chain in India for components and services, generating more than 15,000 jobs. Additionally, Airbus India’s own engineering and digital centres in Bengaluru contribute to all the commercial and helicopter programmes of Airbus globally.