In a major milestone for the Indian Air Force (IAF) and India’s defence manufacturing ambitions, the first ‘Made in India’ C-295 transport aircraft is expected to finally roll out from the Airbus–Tata Final Assembly Line (FAL) in Vadodara later this year, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday (January 21, 2026).
The announcement comes nearly two years after the Vadodara facility was jointly inaugurated in October 2024, as EAM Jaishankar shared that the Made in India C-295 could be rolled out before September 2026. India had in 2021 formalised the acquisition of 56 Airbus C-295 aircraft to replace the Indian Air Force AVRO fleet.
Made in C-295 aircraft: Why is the rollout improtant for Aatmanirbhar Bharat?
Calling the development a reflection of the “growing depth of defence industrial collaboration”, Jaishankar said the project underlines India’s commitment to building resilient, indigenous manufacturing capabilities in the defence sector. The C-295 programme is among the most prominent outcomes of the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative.
C-295 rollout from the Airbus- Tata facility would mark the first time a military aircraft is being manufactured in India by the private sector at scale.
The Tata Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft in Vadodara, Gujarat, was inaugurated on October 28, 2024 by PM Narendra Modi and Spanish President Pedro Sanchez.
What is the Airbus–Tata C-295 programme?
The Airbus C-295, earlier known as the CASA C-295, is a medium-range, twin-engine turboprop tactical transport aircraft originally designed in Spain and now produced by Airbus Defence and Space. India signed a Rs 21,935 crore contract in 2021 with Airbus for the supply of 56 C-295 aircraft to replace the ageing Avro fleet of the IAF.
How many C-295 aircraft will be made in India?
Under the agreement, 16 aircraft are being delivered in fly-away condition from Airbus’ Seville facility in Spain. The remaining 40 aircraft will be manufactured in India by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) at the Vadodara FAL. This makes the programme a cornerstone of India’s evolving defence aerospace ecosystem.
Jaishankar made the remarks after meeting Spain’s Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares in New Delhi, noting that the project reflects the deepening defence and industrial cooperation between the two countries. India and Spain share warm diplomatic relations, growing economic engagement, and expanding political ties.
Beyond defence: What else is driving India–Spain engagement?
The External Affairs Minister highlighted that Spain is among India’s key trading partners in the European Union, with bilateral trade exceeding $8 billion in recent years. This year also marks 70 years of diplomatic relations between India and Spain, to be celebrated as a Dual Year of Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence.
Jaishankar held wide-ranging discussions with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares on India-Spain bilateral cooperation and world affairs. They also spoke about trade, investments, defence, technology, education and people to people ties. Reaffirmed our strong political dialogue.