Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Mr Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing of C-295 aircraft at TATA advanced systems limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara, Gujarat on October 28, 2024.
Addressing the gathering, the Prime Minister remarked that it is the Prime Minister of Spain Mr Pedro Sanchez’s first visit to India and the partnership between the two countries is finding a new direction today. Noting the inauguration of the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft, the Prime Minister said that it would not only strengthen the relations between the two nations, but also give momentum to the mission of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. Shri Modi conveyed his best wishes to the entire team of Airbus and TATA on the occasion. The Prime Minister also paid his tributes to Ratan Tata.
The Prime Minister underlined that the factory of C-295 aircraft is a reflection of the new work culture of New India and said that India’s speed from idea to the execution of any project in the country can be witnessed here. Recalling the foundation stone laying of the factory in October 2022, the Prime Minister said that the facility is now ready for production of C-295 aircraft. Emphasizing the focus on eliminating unaccounted delays in the planning and execution of projects, the Prime Minister recalled the setting up of Bombardier Train Coach manufacturing facility in Vadodara as the Chief Minister of Gujarat and said that factory was ready in record time for production. “Metro Coaches made in this factory are being exported to other nations today”, he added. Shri Modi expressed confidence that the aircraft made in today’s inaugurated facility would also be exported.
Quoting the famous Spanish poet Antonio Machado, the Prime Minister remarked that as we start treading towards the goal, the path towards the goal is created automatically. Noting that India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem was scaling new peaks today, Shri Modi said that if concrete steps were not taken 10 years ago then it would have been impossible to reach this destination today. He added that a decade ago, the priority and identity of defence manufacturing were about import and none could imagine that defence manufacturing could take place on such a large scale in India. The Prime Minister remarked that the Government decided to walk on a new path, set new goals for India, whose results are evident today.
The Prime Minister said that India’s transformation of the defence sector exemplifies how a right plan and partnership can turn possibilities into prosperity. He underlined that strategic decisions have spurred the growth of a vibrant defence industry in India over the last decade.
“We expanded private sector participation in defence manufacturing, made public sector units more efficient, restructured ordnance factories into seven major companies, and empowered DRDO and HAL”, said Shri Modi. He said establishing defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu infused new energy into the sector. Touching upon Innovation for Defence Excellence (iDEX) scheme, the Prime Minister said that it has driven the growth of around 1,000 defence start-ups in the past five to six years. He informed that India’s defence exports have increased 30 times over the past decade, with the country now exporting equipment to over 100 countries.
The Prime Minister underlined that he was looking at today’s program beyond the manufacturing of transport aircraft. Highlighting the unprecedented growth and transformation of India’s aviation sector in the last decade, Shri Modi remarked that India was providing air connectivity to hundreds of small cities in the country, while simultaneously working to make India a hub of aviation and MRO domain. He added that this ecosystem will also pave the way for Made in India civil aircraft in the future. Noting that various Indian airlines have ordered 1,200 new aircraft, Shri Modi said that this only meant the newly inaugurated factory will play a major role from designing to manufacturing civil aircraft to meet the needs of India and the world in the future.
Noting that Vadodara City was a stronghold of MSMEs, Shri Modi remarked that the city will act as a catalyst in these efforts of India. He added that the city also had a Gatishakti University, which was preparing professionals for different sectors of India. The Prime Minister also noted that there were many companies related to many sectors like the pharma sector, Engineering and Heavy Machinery, Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Power and Energy Equipment in Vadodara. He added that now this entire region was also going to be a major hub of aviation manufacturing in India.
Concluding the address, the Prime Minister expressed confidence that today’s event will inspire many new joint collaboration projects between India and Spain. He extended an invitation to the Spanish industry and innovators and encouraged them to come to India and become partners in the country’s development journey.
Governor of Gujarat Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel, Raksha Mantri Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishakar were among those present on the occasion.
Earlier, in a post on X, Defence Minister termed the inauguration as a special day for the Indian aerospace industry. “The C-295 project is a huge accomplishment for the Indian private industry as it is the first project of its kind in which a complete military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. The project will give a big boost to India’s growing aerospace ecosystem,” he wrote.
