It was a proud moment for all when India’s first private military transport aircraft production facility was launched on Monday – in Gujarat’s Vadodara region. The prestigious C295 aircraft project is a joint venture involving the native Tatas and Airbus, the world’s biggest aircraft manufacturer based out of Europe. The name of Tatas has been written in golden letters in India’s aviation industry from its very start. Airbus functions under a collaboration between premier agencies from France, Germany and Spain. This alliance is bound to enhance India’s defence capabilities and create job opportunities for thousands of qualified youths in the aerospace industry.
India’s aviation, aerospace industry is still not strongly placed even as the Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd in Bengaluru is currently producing trainer jets for the military, aero engines for fighter jets etc. The entity started much before Independence and came under the central ministry of defence 11 years later, in 1951. The original aim of this firm, started by a visionary with help from the then regional rulers of Mysore, was to produce and export aircraft to world aviation markets. Due to governmental controls, its growth remained stunted. Notably, the present C295 endeavour aims at manufacture and sale of military aircraft to foreign countries after it completes the present assignment of manufacture of 40 units for the Indian military. The Vadodara-based initiative would be a boost to India’s indigenous civil aviation infrastructure capacity and help meet critical defence requirements in the border areas in terms of transport of equipment, soldiers etc. Notably, this is part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make In India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives, which have made significant strides in the aviation industry in the last 10 years. The first aircraft manufactured from this facility would be delivered to the military two years hence and 39 more units before the end of 2031. The initial deliveries from Europe, out of the total 56 units ordered, reached here some time ago. As Modi noted, the Tata-Airbus facility would advance India’s ambition to export aircraft and contribute to production of the nation’s first civil aircraft. This would be a game changer. What was an exclusive preserve of Europe and the US may in future see a substantial Indian competition.
The long years of India’s exclusive reliance on foreign manufacturers for military purchases was likely motivated by vested interests. Those in successive governments allegedly took hefty commissions for such acquisitions purchases from abroad. Even the top military brass came under a shadow vis-a-vis fixing of such deals. The Bofors guns deal was a case in point; and the VVIP chopper deal being another. The initiative by Prime Minister Modi to boost indigenous defence manufacture proves to be a ‘game changer’ in itself.
