Civil Aviation Minister Rammohan Naidu Kinjarapu stated that India is progressing towards a future where its citizens will travel in domestically produced civil aircraft. This advancement comes as India’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities expand under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
The minister highlighted the first India-made Airbus C-295 tactical military transport aircraft as a significant achievement for the country’s aerospace and defense manufacturing sectors. He visited the Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) manufacturing facility in Vadodara, where the C-295 aircraft are currently being manufactured.
The C-295 program, a collaboration between Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems Limited, represents the first instance of a complex military aircraft being produced in India by the private sector under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. This program stems from a $2.6 billion agreement signed in 2021 for the procurement of 56 C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force.
Gujarat’s upcoming Dholera Airport is set to host dedicated maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facilities to support the C-295 fleet, further bolstering India’s aerospace ecosystem. The first India-assembled C-295 aircraft completed its maiden test flight on June 10, marking a significant milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance in aerospace and defense manufacturing.
