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PM Announces Launch of 22,000 Crores Plane Project in Gujarat as “Big Step For India”
The Defence Ministry has announced that Tata-Airbus will produce the C-295 transport plane for the Indian Air Force.
In Vadodara, Gujarat, where he laid the cornerstone for an aircraft manufacturing facility, Prime Minister Narendra Modi declared that India had taken a significant step toward being self-sufficient in the aviation industry.
“In the coming years, the Defence and Aerospace sectors will be two important pillars for making India ‘Atmanirbhar‘. By 2025, our defence manufacturing scale would cross $25 billion. Defence corridors being established in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu would power this scale,” he said.
According to the PM, this is the first time such a sizable investment has been made in India’s defence and aerospace industries. He also mentioned that his administration has implemented numerous economic reforms over the years. The manufacturing sector has benefited greatly from these reforms and received a boost as a result, he continued.
“The world’s fastest growing aviation sector is in India today. We are about to be in the top three countries globally in terms of air traffic,” he said.
India still maintains the economic momentum in the industrial sector, according to the Prime Minister, despite supply chain interruptions, the effects of Covid, and a war.
At the location of the C-295 transport aircraft production plant, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and Tata Sons Chairman N Chandrasekaran honoured the Prime Minister.
According to PM Modi, the transport planes that will be produced in Vadodara will not only strengthen our armed forces but also create a new manufacturing environment.
“India, following the mantra of ‘Make in India, Make for the Globe’ is today increasing its potential,” he added.
The Defence Ministry has announced that Tata-Airbus will produce the C-295 transport plane for the Indian Air Force. In addition to producing 40 aircraft, this Vadodara factory will produce additional aircraft for Air Force needs and exports.
Tata-Airbus combine had said that C-295 manufacturing is “the first Make in India aerospace programme in the private sector involving the full development of a complete industrial ecosystem; from manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.”
According to the Defence Ministry, India would manufacture around 13,400 detail parts, 4,600 sub-assemblies, and all seven key component assemblies for the aircraft.
Airbus Defence and Space will supply a number of equipment, including engines, landing gear, and avionics, while the TATA Consortium will integrate them into the aircraft.
The C295 is utilised for tactical transport of up to 71 infantry or 50 paratroopers and for logistic operations to regions that are inaccessible to current heavier aircraft because of its demonstrated ability to operate from short or unprepared airstrips.
The aircraft can be utilised for casualty or medical evacuation as well as airdropping loads and paratroopers. It is capable of carrying out special missions, disaster relief work, and marine patrol responsibilities.
With more than 42.5 lakh man-hours of work in the aerospace and defence sector, the project is anticipated to create 600 highly skilled jobs directly, over 3,000 indirect jobs, and an additional 3,000 medium-skill employment prospects.
For the project, the Airbus centre in Spain will train close to 240 engineers.
