
The C-295 is a new generation transport aircraft used for airlift operations. It has modern technology & avionics and is perhaps the best current type in its class, with a payload of 9.5T. C-295 aircraft is being inducted into IAF to replace the HS 748 Avro.
The C-295 project is a huge accomplishment for the Indian private industry as it is the first project of its kind in which a complete military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi remarked that it is the Prime Minister of Spain 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.
The Prime Minister underlined that the factory of C-295 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 C-295 aircraft.
Concluding his address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi 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.
Earlier, in a post on X, India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh termed the inauguration as a special day for the Indian aerospace industry. “The C-295 project is a huge accomplishment for the Indian private industry as it is the first project of its kind in which a complete military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. The project will give a big boost to India’s growing aerospace ecosystem,” he wrote.
FAL facility
TASL is responsible for making 40 aircraft in India. This facility became the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in the country. 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.
This facility has been built in less than two years. The Prime Minister had laid the foundation stone of C-295 aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara in October 2022. The pre-FAL production will start from December 2024 and the FAL assembly will start from October 2025.
‘Make in India’
For the 40 aircraft to be made in India, a substantial proportion of C-295 components, sub-assemblies and major component assemblies of aero structure are planned to be manufactured in India. Of 14,000 detailed parts used in one aircraft, 13,000 would be made in India from raw material. A total of 37 companies have already been identified by Airbus, of which 33 are MSMEs.

The indigenous content in the first 16 aircraft will be 48%, and it would increase to 75% in the 24 aircraft to be made in India. All 56 aircraft will be equipped with an Electronic Warfare Suite that will be indigenously manufactured by Bharat Electronics Limited and Bharat Dynamics Limited.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez also took a walkthrough of the exhibition showcased on the occasion. DRDO is showcasing its latest range of maritime surveillance systems, namely the Multi-Mission Maritime Aircraft (MMMA) for the Indian Coast Guard and Medium Range Maritime Reconnaissance (MRMR) aircraft for the Indian Navy at the exhibition organised as part of the event. MMMA and MRMR are special mission aircraft designed & developed by Centre for Airborne Systems (CABS), DRDO with state-of-the-art advanced sensors and communication suite from various DRDO labs.
MMMA and MRMR is based on modified C-295 and has three-way collaboration between CABS, DRDO as the nodal agency for Design & Development of mission aircraft and mission systems, Airbus Defence and Space for aircraft modification and certification and TASL for manufacturing the modified aircraft in India. This entails 15 additional C-295 to be manufactured in blue aircraft configuration, in addition to the 56 aircraft ordered by IAF. This collaboration is a classic example of design in India by DRDO and make in India by Indian Industry leading to Aatmanirbhar Bharat.
DRDO is also showcasing the Airborne Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) MkII for IAF which embodies India-Spain collaboration. CABS, DRDO is the nodal agency for design and development of the mission aircraft and Airbus will modify the A321 platform based on the requirements projected by CABS for the AEW&C MkII. All the three programmes will involve synergistic participation from Indian R&D, Academia, Airworthiness Authorities, Services and Indian Industries.