On Monday today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi inaugurated the factory of TATA Advanced System Ltd. (TASL) that would manufacture the C-295 transport aircrafts in collaboration with Spain. These aircrafts will be used by the Indian Air Force. The inauguration was also attended by Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez who is in India on an official visit.
While addressing the gathering, PM Modi, remembered Late Ratan Tata and said, “Had Ratan Tata Ji alive today, he would have been the happiest person as it was his dream project. I thank the entire TATA Group and its staffs.” He further said, The (Tata-Airbus) facility is a reflection of new India’s work culture. The construction of this factory started in October 2022 and is ready for production. The factory will one day not only become bigger but India will export aircrafts built in this factory. “It would have been impossible to scale these heights. At that time… the priority and understanding was of only importing, but we decided to walk new paths and set new goals. The result is in front of us,” added PM Modi.
Stating that the “decisions taken in the last decade” had paved the way for defence manufacturing in India, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Monday, expressed confidence that India would soon become a leading exporter of aircraft and meet “growing demand” in the civil aviation sector, thanks to the newly inaugurated Tata-Airbus manufacturing facility in Gujarat’s Vadodara.
“Indian players have given orders for 1,200 new aircraft to other countries but it is possible that the global manufacturers may not be able to meet India’s growing demand. This factory will play a key role in designing and manufacturing civil airlines,” said Prime Minister Modi.
The facility is expected to benefit MSMEs across the country and make Vadodara the “centre of transport engineering”. He said, “Skill and job creation is our focus — the Airbus and Tata factory will create thousands of jobs. About 18,000 parts of the aircraft will be indigenously manufactured in various parts of the country. Micro and small industries MSMEs will be making these parts. The new aircraft factory will boost new skills, new industries… We are working on increasing air connectivity in smaller towns and creating Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) hubs… It will create a path for made-in-India civil aviation in the future and create an ecosystem.”
Expressing his happiness to be in India, Spain Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said that the TASL was a “triumph” of PM Modi’s “mission to turn India into an industrial powerhouse”. Sanchez said, “Spain, like India, is promoting an ambitious roadmap. In 2026, the first C295 manufactured in India will fly. It is a symbol of the Spanish aeronautical industry. A new generation of highly qualified engineers and technicians will be trained (in Vadodara). Many are currently studying at universities and they will find a highly professional horizon in this centre.”
Both PM Modi and Spanish Prime Minister participated in a road show travelling over 2.5-km stretch from the airport to the TASL facility, The two leaders held bilateral talks after the inauguration of the TATA Aircraft Complex.
The Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez said, “There is no doubt that our cooperation will continue to grow across many other areas, and even more given the celebration of the Spain-India Year for Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence in 2026. Our countries complement each other. India plays a prominent role not only in the Indo-Pacific but also in the wider geopolitical context. Spain maintains privileged relations with Latin America, historic ties in the Middle East, increased presence in Africa, and is a leading voice in the European Union. This geopolitical framework offers many opportunities for our countries to reach different regions and develop closer and more productive relations. India and Spain also share many goals; in particular, they are strengthening the multilateral order and preserving peace and democracy worldwide.”
