NEW DELHI
\nIndian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez inaugurated India\u2019s first private military aircraft plant on Monday, boosting the country\u2019s ambitions of becoming a global manufacturing hub.
\nIn Gujarat state\u2019s Vadodara city, the two premiers launched the Tata Aircraft Complex, the manufacturing hub that will produce the Airbus C-295 transport military aircraft in collaboration with Airbus Spain and to be deployed by the Indian Air Force.
\n\u201cIn India, the defense manufacturing ecosystem is touching a new height. Had we not taken a firm step 10 years ago we would not have reached this feat today. Back then no one could have imagined that India could be involved in defense manufacturing on such a scale,\u201d Modi said at the launching ceremony.
\nThe Indian premier vowed to turn India into a global manufacturing hub when he came to power in 2014 with his \u201cMake in India\u201d initiative, including in infrastructure, pharmaceuticals and the defense sector.
\n\u201cThat time our priority and identity were of importer. But we decided to tread a new path, we fixed a new target for us and today we are witnessing the result,\u201d he said.
\nUnder a $2.5 billion deal signed in 2021, India and Spain agreed to procure 56 C-295 transport aircraft to replace the aging Avro-748 planes of the Indian Air Force.
\nAirbus will deliver the first 16 of the aircraft from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain \u2014 six of which have so far been delivered. The remaining 40 will be manufactured and assembled by Tata Advanced Systems in India, as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.
\n\u201cThe factory will not only strengthen India and Spain\u2019s relationship but also consolidate Make in India and Make for the World Mission,\u201d Modi said.
\nThe plant in Vadodara is expected to roll out the first C-295 aircraft made in India in 2026. The plane can transport up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, will be able to access remote locations and be used for medical evacuations and aid in disaster response and maritime patrol duties.
\n\u201cThis project brings together the best of two worlds,\u201d Sanchez said.
\n\u201cThis project strengthens our industrial ties while underlying our country\u2019s deep commitment as a reliable and strategic partner. This plant will be a symbol of industrial excellence, an engine of growth and a testament to the close and growing friendship.\u201d
\nSanchez was on a three-day visit to India, the first such trip by a Spanish leader to the South Asian nation in 18 years.
\nAs part of his visit, Sanchez will also travel to India\u2019s financial capital of Mumbai on Tuesday, where he is expected to meet with trade and industry leaders, as well as visit film studios in an effort to boost entertainment industry collaboration between the two countries.
\nAs the world\u2019s largest arms importer, accounting for almost 10 percent of total global arms import between 2019 and 2023, the plant in Vadodara marks a new chapter in India\u2019s defense industry development.
\n\u201cTo maintain strategic autonomy, it is imperative to substantially reduce dependence on foreign suppliers. Hence, India is focusing on maximizing its domestic production of advanced defense systems,\u201d Delhi-based defense analyst Ranjit Kumar told Arab News.
\nIndia has been encouraging the private sector to make investment in weapons production to increase its self-dependency in the defense sector. New Delhi is also in talks with German and Spanish submarine makers to produce next-generation diesel submarines in India, he added.
\n\u201cIndia is thus leveraging its huge defense market to successfully negotiate with leading international defense firms to produce their weapon systems in India for supplying not only Indian armed forces but also use the facility in India for the international market.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
NEW DELHI Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez inaugurated India\u2019s first private military aircraft plant on Monday, boosting the country\u2019s ambitions of becoming a global manufacturing hub. In Gujarat state\u2019s Vadodara city, the two premiers launched the Tata Aircraft Complex, the manufacturing hub that will produce the Airbus C-295 transport […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":440129,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-440100","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n