PM Modi laid the inspiration stone of the C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force in Vadodara, Gujarat as we speak.
“In the coming years, the Defence and Aerospace sectors will be two important pillars for making India ‘Atmanirbhar’. By 2025, our defence manufacturing scale would cross USD25 billion. Defence corridors being established in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu would power this scale,” he stated.
“The transport aircrafts that’ll be manufactured here will not only give power to our Army but also develop a new ecosystem of manufacturing aircraft,” he added.
PM Modi pressured that the nation is transferring ahead with the intention of being the frontrunner in each discipline.
“From semi-conductor to aircraft, we are moving forward with the aim to be the frontrunner in every field. It is being possible because we have focussed on skill development in the last eight years and prepared an atmosphere for it,” he stated.
Noting that India is without doubt one of the “fastest-developing aviation sectors” today, the Prime Minister stated that the nation will quickly enter the checklist of prime three nations in terms of air traffic.
“In the coming 10-15yrs, India will require over 2000 passenger and cargo aircraft. This reflects how fast we’ll be developing. India is preparing to meet the demand from now on,” he stated.
The Prime Minister attributed to the progressive steps being taken throughout sectors to the “change of mindset”, and stated that the earlier governments’ mindset “didn’t let the private sector grow”.
“One key aspect of progress is the change of mindset! Govts, for a long time now, had been working with the mindset that only the government knows everything & that only they should do everything. This mindset suppressed the country’s talent, and didn’t let the private sector grow,” he stated.
Hitting out additional on the earlier governments over the mindset, the Prime Minister stated that it less to a loss in India’s manufacturing sector.
“Previous governments also had the mindset to avoid problems and keep alive manufacturing sector with a few subsidies. This thinking led to a loss in India’s manufacturing sector. Neither was there a solid policy, nor responsibility over the need for logistics, and electricity/water supply. The India of today is working with a new mindset and new work culture. We have let go of ‘Kaam-chalau’ decisions,” he stated.
PM Modi highlighted that the nation is managing the service sectors together with flourishing the manufacturing sector as we speak.
“Earlier there was also a mindset that India cannot do well in manufacturing, so it should focus on service sector. Today we are managing the service sector and also flourishing the manufacturing sector,” he stated.
Defense Secretary Aramane Giridhar stated that this Vadodara factory would also produce additional aircraft for the Air Force’s needs and exports in addition to the 40 planes it is now producing. With the opening of the C295 plane production facility, India will join an exclusive group of only a dozen countries that are able to produce military transport aircraft. – Currently, that capability is shared by the US, Japan, UK, Russia, France, Italy, Spain, Ukraine, Brazil, China, and Japan.
Tata-Airbus combine had stated that C-295 manufacturing is “the first Make in India aerospace programme in the private sector involving the full development of a complete industrial ecosystem; from manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete lifecycle of the aircraft.”
According to the terms of the agreement, 16 C-295 aircraft are expected to be delivered in flyaway condition between September 2023 and August 2025, while the remaining 40 aircraft will be produced at the Vadodara site.
In one other first, “indigenous content in the planes will be the highest ever in India, and 96 per cent of the work that Airbus does in Spain will now be done at the new facility.”
The Vadodara factory will initially be geared to produce 8 aircraft annually, but it has been designed in such a way that it can also meet the additional needs of the Indian armed services or exports.
Following the delivery of 56 aircraft to IAS, the mix would be permitted to market India-built C295 aircraft to civil operators and to nations approved by the federal government, according to the Defence Ministry. The Vadodara factory is anticipated to duplicate Brahmos’ success in exporting missiles.
Major improvement to Make in India: The Modi administration’s imposing Make in India programme has sparked a significant overhaul of India’s defence industry. In order to meet the Indian armed forces’ needs for defence modernization, a number of projects for the home production of various defence platforms, such as missiles, discipline weapons, tanks, plane carriers, drones, fighter planes, tanks, and helicopters, are currently under progress.
Army transport aircraft, however, was one of several essential missing parts in the entire defence industrial complex chain. The JV between Tata and Airbus has filled that gap and will significantly improve the Narendra Modi administration’s Make in India agenda. The Indian Armed forces will not have to rely upon the previous Avro planes of the 1960 era for their transportation wants.
