A new era in aerospace collaboration between India and Spain

• The Spanish Prime Minister’s visit, the first by a Spanish leader in 18 years, includes discussions with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar and high-level meetings with industry leaders in Mumbai

• Sanchez will also explore opportunities for collaboration in the film industry, signaling Spain’s interest in India’s cultural and economic sectors

PRAVASISAMWAD.COM

India has taken a significant step toward boosting its defense and aerospace industries with the inauguration of its first private military aircraft plant, time.com reported.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez unveiled the Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara, Gujarat, marking a milestone in New Delhi’s mission to advance local manufacturing in defense.

Sanchez arrived in India with a warm welcome in Vadodara, where crowds gathered to witness the inauguration. The Tata Aircraft Complex, a collaboration between Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Airbus Spain, will produce the Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft, enhancing India’s air force capabilities. Sanchez highlighted this venture as a realization of Modi’s vision to transform India into an industrial powerhouse and attract investment. “This partnership between Airbus and Tata will open doors for further European involvement in India’s growing aerospace industry,” he remarked.

• As of 2023, bilateral trade between India and Spain nears $10 billion, with over 200 Spanish companies operating in India and approximately 80 Indian companies in Spain
• The two leaders plan to sign agreements aimed at expanding cooperation across areas like renewable energy, information technology, and defense, cementing a partnership geared toward mutual growth and innovation

Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran praised the project as a historic milestone for India’s defense sector, crediting the late Ratan Tata for initiating the idea over a decade ago. Under the 2021 $2.5 billion contract with Airbus, the first 16 aircraft will come from Airbus’s Seville plant, with six already delivered to the Indian Air Force.

Tata Advanced Systems will produce the remaining 40 at the new Vadodara facility, set to begin operations in 2026. The C-295 aircraft, designed to transport 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, will bolster India’s operational capabilities, including remote access, medical evacuations, and disaster response.

Modi’s commitment since 2014 to establish India as a manufacturing hub has included significant reforms in defense production. The government has opened the sector to private companies and eased foreign direct investment policies, creating an attractive environment for global defense manufacturers.

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