Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus Defence & Space inaugurated the final assembly line (FAL) complex of the Airbus C295 aircraft at Vadodara (Gujarat, India), a major milestone for the Indian aerospace and defense industry. TASL and Airbus are collaborating on the pioneering “Make in India” project to deliver 56 C295 aircraft to the Indian Air Force (IAF). The state-of-the-art facility was inaugurated by the Prime Minister of India, Shri. Narendra Modi and the Prime Minister of Spain, Pedro Sanchez Perez-Castejon in the presence of N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman of Tata Sons and Michael Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.
This milestone marks a turning point in the Indian aerospace industry, being the first time that the private sector has established a Final Assembly Line (FAL). This achievement significantly boosts the ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ program, demonstrating how a strategic public-private partnership can transform opportunities into prosperity. The Indian Prime Minister highlighted that the last decade witnessed exponential growth in the Indian defense industry, thanks to strategic decisions that have fostered innovation, efficiency and collaboration. Initiatives such as defense corridors, the iDEX program and the restructuring of state-owned enterprises were central to this development. In addition, India experienced exponential growth in defense exports, consolidating its position as a global player in the sector.
The inauguration comes three years after the Indian Air Force (IAF) formalized the purchase of 56 Airbus C295 aircrafts to replace its aging fleet of HS 748 AVROs. Under the contract, 40 of these aircrafts will be manufactured and assembled in collaboration with TASL at this final assembly line (FAL), while the remaining 16 will be delivered to the IAF on fly-away basis directly from the Airbus plant in Seville, Spain. So far, six aircrafts have been delivered and have already been inducted into the IAF’s 11th Squadron at Vadodara. The last aircraft is expected to be delivered in August 2025. Also, the first Indian-made C-295 is scheduled to roll off the final assembly line at Vadodara in September 2026, with the remaining units completed by August 2031. In addition, a Full Mission Simulator has been installed at the IAF station in Agra for training.
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. . The 56 aircraft will be equipped with a suite of indigenously manufactured electronic warfare systems by Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
India, the best C295 customer
India became the largest customer for the C295, acquiring 56 planes. The C295 “Make in India” program will produce more than 85% of the structural and final assembly of 40 aircraft, along with the manufacture of 13,000 detail parts in India, for which 21 special processes have been certified and 37 India-based suppliers from both the private and public sectors have been brought on board.
Shri Narendra Modi and Pedro Sanchez also visited the exhibition organized by the Defense Research and Development Organization (DRDO), where they were able to see the latest range of locally developed maritime surveillance systems, namely the Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMMA) for the Indian Coast Guard and the Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) for the Indian Navy. The MMMA and MRMR are based on the modified C-295 which involves the production of 15 additional C295 aircrafts in special mission aircraft configuration, in addition to the 56 aircrafts ordered by the IAF.
A321 AEW&C for the Indian Air Force
The DRDO also introduced the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) MkII for the Indian Air Force (IAF), the result of a collaboration between India and Spain. The DRDO’s Center for Airborne Systems (CABS) and Airbus will modify the A321 platform in accordance with the requirements set by CABS for the AEW&C MkII, which will integrate an advanced electronics system of Indian development and manufacture, including AESA airborne scanning radars (GaN). The program aims to convert six A321 passenger aircraft to the AEW&C MkII configuration, with the first delivery scheduled for 2027 or 2028.
