India Accelerates Toward Self-Reliance In Aerospace With Tata-Airbus Ventures

India’s aspiration to achieve self-sufficiency in aerospace manufacturing has gained significant momentum with the Tata Group taking a leading role.

While the country has emerged as a key exporter of aerospace components and services, manufacturing its civil aircraft remains a long-term goal. However, recent developments suggest that the goal may be closer than anticipated.

Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL), the aerospace and defence arm of the Tata Group, has partnered with European aviation giant Airbus to set up India’s first privately-led helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Kolar, Karnataka.

According to an Economic Times report, the facility will manufacture the Airbus H125 helicopter—Airbus’ best-selling civil helicopter—for India and neighbouring countries.

This plant will become the fourth H125 assembly facility worldwide, after France, the United States, and Brazil.

Expanding Footprint With Aerospace Manufacturing In Gujarat

This new helicopter plant marks the Tata Group’s second major aerospace manufacturing project with Airbus in less than a year.

In 2023, TASL inaugurated India’s first private-sector FAL for military aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat.

The facility, which produces the C-295 military transport aircraft, is a joint venture with Airbus and a landmark in India’s aerospace development journey.

Speaking at the inauguration of the Vadodara facility alongside Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the long-term vision.

He noted that the Tata-Airbus collaboration could pave the way for India to design and manufacture its own civil aircraft.

“We are working to make India an aviation hub. This ecosystem will play a critical role in enabling Made-in-India civil aircraft in the future,” PM Modi said.

India Eyes Entry Into Commercial Aircraft Segment

India is laying the groundwork to eventually manufacture full-fledged commercial aircraft—a highly ambitious objective in an industry dominated by the Boeing-Airbus duopoly, which controls nearly 90% of the global market.

Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL), which already manufactures fighter jets, is also developing a 19-seater civil aircraft.

But producing a large, commercial jetliner involves immense complexity and decades of technological refinement.

China’s journey with its first mainline commercial aircraft, the COMAC C919, illustrates the scale of the challenge.

Despite its successful maiden flight in 2023, the C919 remains dependent on Western technologies and lacks full international certification.

China had started developing the C919 over two decades ago, highlighting how long and costly such programs can be.

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