India & Spain Jointly Inaugurated India’s first private military aircraft plant

In October, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez inaugurated India’s first private military aircraft plant in Vadodara, to boost New Delhi’s ambitions for growing local manufacturing in its defense aerospace industries. The Indian manufacturing unit in Vadodara will complete the first "Made in India" C295 aircraft in 2026.

The two leaders were in the Indian state of Gujarat to unveil the Tata Aircraft Complex, which will manufacture Airbus C-295 transport planes for the Indian Air Force in partnership with Airbus Spain.

Sanchez highlighted “to turn India into an industrial powerhouse and a magnet for investment and business-to-business collaboration." “This partnership between Airbus and Tata will contribute to the progress of the Indian aerospace industry and will open new doors for the arrival of other European companies,” he added.

According to Modi, “This new aircraft factory will boost new skills and new industries in India.” "This factory will not only strengthen India-Spain relations but also the 'Make in India and Made for the World' mission," he said at the inauguration. Tata Group Chairman Natarajan Chandrasekaran called it a historic day, crediting the late Ratan Tata with the idea over a decade ago.