Tata, Airbus open India’s first final assembly line for C295 aircraft

In a significant step for India’s Aerospace and Defence sector, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus have inaugurated the country’s first final assembly line (FAL) for military aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat. As part of a pioneering ‘Make in India’ project, this facility will produce 56 Airbus C295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF), advancing the Government’s ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) initiative. The facility was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spain’s President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón, along with Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran and Airbus Defence CEO Michael Schoellhorn.

The IAF contracted Airbus for the acquisition of 56 C295 aircraft to replace its aging AVRO fleet, with the Vadodara FAL designated to deliver 40 of these aircraft through local manufacturing and assembly. The remaining 16 aircraft will be delivered in ‘fly-away’ condition from Airbus’ FAL in Seville, Spain. The FAL complex in Vadodara integrates the production of detail parts, assembly, tooling, and testing, while the Main Component Assembly (MCA) facility in Hyderabad has already begun producing key components for the C295. The first Indian-built C295 is set to roll out by September 2026, with the project’s goal of delivering 40 aircraft to the IAF by August 2031.

India has become the largest C295 customer worldwide with its order of 56 aircraft, reflecting Airbus’s strategic investment in the country. The project will see over 85% of the structural and assembly work for the 40 aircraft completed domestically, with 13,000 parts manufactured in India. To support this, 21 specialised processes have been certified, and 37 Indian suppliers from the private and public sectors have been enlisted.

Airbus’s presence in India’s aerospace ecosystem is substantial, with more than US$1 billion being invested annually, generating over 15,000 jobs across components, engineering, and support services. Airbus also operates engineering and digital centres in Bengaluru, supporting its global commercial and helicopter programmes. Through this collaboration with TASL, Airbus is bolstering India’s aerospace supply chain, furthering the country’s status as a strategic partner in its global operations.