Tue Oct 29 19:22:41 UTC 2024: ## India Takes Off: First Private Aircraft Assembly Line Launched in Vadodara
**Vadodara, Gujarat** – A historic milestone in India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative was achieved today with the inauguration of a new Final Assembly Line (FAL) complex for Airbus C295 aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat. This marks the first time a private entity has established an aircraft final assembly line in India.
The facility was jointly launched by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish President Pedro Sánchez Pérez-Castejón. The event comes three years after the Indian Air Force (IAF) formalized the acquisition of 56 Airbus C295 aircraft to replace its aging AVRO fleet.
Under the contract, 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled at the Vadodara FAL in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems. The remaining 16 will be delivered from Airbus’s assembly line in Seville, Spain.
“This inauguration is a significant milestone in India’s journey towards self-reliance in defence manufacturing,” said Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn. “This FAL will propel the advancement of the aerospace industrial ecosystem in the country, unlocking the potential for cutting-edge design, component manufacturing, aircraft assembly and services capabilities across the Indian value chain.”
Production has already commenced at the Main Component Assembly facility in Hyderabad, with parts for the first India-made C295 being shipped to Vadodara. The first ‘Make in India’ C295 is expected to roll out in September 2026, with a plan to deliver all 40 aircraft by August 2031.
This program signifies a major leap for the Indian defense industry, with over 85% of the structural and final assembly of the 40 aircraft set to be done domestically. The initiative has already certified 21 special processes and onboarded 37 suppliers from both private and public sectors in India.
The inauguration of the Vadodara FAL solidifies India’s position as a global player in the aerospace sector and serves as a powerful testament to the success of the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
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