Prime Minister Narendra Modi Monday said that India’s transformation of the defence sector exemplifies how a right plan and partnership can turn possibilities into prosperity. He underlined that strategic decisions have spurred the growth of a vibrant defence industry in India over the last decade.
Speaking at the inauguration of TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft in Vadodara, he said, ”We expanded private sector participation in defence manufacturing, made public sector units more efficient, restructured ordnance factories into seven major companies, and empowered DRDO and HAL.”
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He said establishing defence corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu infused new energy into the sector. Touching upon iDEX (Innovation for Defence Excellence) scheme, the PM said that it has driven the growth of around 1,000 defence startups in the past five to six years. He said that India’s defence exports have increased 30 times over the past decade, with the country now exporting equipment to over 100 countries.
Mr Modi and his Spanish counterpart, Pedro Sanchez, jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft at TATA advanced systems limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara.
A total of 56 aircraft are there under the C-295 programme, of which 16 are being delivered directly by Airbus from Spain and remaining 40 are to be made in India. Tata Advanced Systems Ltd is responsible for making these 40 aircraft in India. This facility will be the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India.
He said “…All of you have witnessed unprecedented growth and transformation in India’s aviation sector in the last decade. We are already working to make India an aviation hub. This ecosystem will pave the way for Made in India civil aircraft in the future.”
He said various Indian airlines have placed orders for 1200 new aircraft, adding that this factory is going to play a major role in the design and manufacturing of civil aircraft to meet the future needs of India and the world.
On the occasion, PM Modi said , “This is my friend Pedro Sanchez’s first visit to India. From today, we are giving a new direction to India and Spain’s partnership. We are inaugurating the production factory of C-295 aircraft. This factory will strengthen India-Spain relations as well as the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ mission …”
Remembering Late Ratan Tata, the PM said, “Recently, we lost the country’s great son Ratan Tata ji. If he had been among us today, he would have been happy, but wherever his soul is, he would be happy. This C-295 aircraft factory reflects the new work culture of New India … When I was the Gujarat CM, it was decided to set up a factory in Vadodara to build train coaches. The factory was also prepared for production within a record time.”
Today, he said, India is exporting the metro coaches manufactured in that factory to other countries and expressed confidence that in the future, the aircraft made in this factory will also be exported to other countries.
The Prime Minister laid emphasis on skilling and job creation and said that projects like the Airbus-Tata factory will create thousands of jobs. He said that the factory will support indigenous manufacturing of 18,000 aircraft parts, providing immense opportunities for MSMEs across India.
Noting that Vadodara was also an important cultural city of India, PM Modi said he was elated to welcome all the friends from Spain. “The cultural connect between India and Spain has its own importance”, stated the Prime Minister.
Mr Modi noted that yoga was highly popular in Spain too and Spanish football was also liked in India. Remarking about the football match between Real Madrid and Barcelona clubs which took place yesterday, he also said that Barcelona’s great victory was a topic of discussion in India too and the fervor of the fans of both the clubs was same in India as it is in Spain.
Throwing light on India and Spain’s multifaceted partnership, the PM said, “Whether it’s food, films, or football, our strong people-to-people connect has always strengthened our ties.” He expressed happiness that India and Spain have decided to celebrate 2026 as the India-Spain Year of Culture, Tourism, and AI.
He extended an invitation to the Spanish industry and innovators and encouraged them to come to India and become partners in the country’s development journey.
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