He said that the late Ratan Tata would be happy to see the Tata Aircraft Complex being inaugurated for the production of C-295 aircraft. He said that the C-295 aircraft factory represents the new work culture of New India and can export aircraft globally, just like the metro coaches manufactured in Vadodara are being exported to other countries.
PM Modi remembers Ratan Tata
PM Modi said, “Recently, we lost our great son Ratan Tata. If he were alive today, he would be happy, but his soul would be happy wherever it is. This C-295 aircraft factory represents the new work culture of New India… When I was the CM of Gujarat, we decided to set up a factory to manufacture train coaches in Vadodara. The factory was ready for production in record time. Today, we are exporting metro coaches manufactured in that factory to other countries. I am confident that in the future, the aircraft produced in this factory will also be exported to other countries.”
Focus on making India an Aviation Hub
PM Modi said that his government has taken concrete steps to make India a defense manufacturing hub. PM Modi said, “Today, India’s defense manufacturing ecosystem is reaching new heights. If we had not taken concrete steps 10 years ago, it would have been impossible to reach this level. No one could have thought that India would be capable of defense manufacturing on such a large scale. But we decided to take a new path and set a new target for ourselves. And today, the result is in front of us… We have expanded private sector participation in defense manufacturing, made the public sector more efficient, converted ordnance factories into seven large companies, strengthened DRDO and HAL, and set up two large defense corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Such decisions have infused new energy into the defense sector.”
1000 new Defense Startups
PM Modi said, “In the last 5-6 years, over 1000 new defense startups have been launched in India. In the last 10 years, India’s defense exports have increased 30-fold. Today, we export defense equipment to over 100 countries. Today, we are focusing on skill and job creation in the country. This Airbus and Tata factory will create thousands of jobs.” He said, “You have all seen the unprecedented growth and change in India’s aviation sector over the past decade. We are already working towards making India an aviation hub. This ecosystem will pave the way for ‘Made in India’ civil aircraft in the future. Various Indian airlines have placed orders for 1200 new aircraft… This factory will play a crucial role in meeting the future requirements of civil aircraft in India and the world.”
First Private Sector Final Assembly Line
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish Government President Pedro Sanchez jointly inaugurated the Tata Aircraft Complex in Vadodara for the production of C-295 aircraft. The C-295 program includes a total of 56 aircraft, of which 16 will be directly delivered by Airbus from Spain, and the remaining 40 will be manufactured in India by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL). This facility will be the first private sector final assembly line (FAL) for military aircraft in India. Earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Spanish Government President Pedro Sanchez witnessed a cultural performance and greeted people during their roadshow in Vadodara.
