Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of C-295 transport aircraft manufacturing facility – the country’s first in the private sector – in Vadodara, Gujarat on Sunday. The facility will manufacture C-295 aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF) through collaboration between Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Airbus Defence and Space S.A., Spain.
This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company. The total cost of the project is Rs 21,935 crore. The aircraft can be used for civilian purposes as well.
Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said India is making fighter jets, tanks, submarines, medicines, vaccines, electronic gadgets, mobile phones and cars that are popular in many countries. The Prime Minister remarked that India is moving forward with the mantra of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ and now it is becoming a huge manufacturer of transport aircraft. The Prime Minister stated that he can foresee that India will soon be manufacturing big passenger aircraft that will proudly bear the words ‘Made in India’.
Commenting on the fast-evolving aviation sector of India, PM Modi said that we are about to enter among the top three countries in the world with regard to air traffic. UDAN scheme is helping in turning many commuters into air travellers, he said. Highlighting the increased demand for passenger and cargo aircraft, the Prime Minister stated that India will need more than 2000 aircraft in the next 15 years.
