‘Made-in-India, for globe’: PM on Tata-Airbus Gujarat plant

Ahmedabad, Oct 30: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a manufacturing facility for C-295 transport aircraft in Vadodara in Gujarat.

Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said "This is a historic day in the aerospace sector of New India towards being atmanirbharbharat. Today India is making aeroplanes, tanks, cars, mobile phones, even vaccines that are saving millions of lives around the world. Make in India, make for the globe is the new mantra!".

Soon, India will witness the passenger aircraft that will be made with the tag of 'Make In India', PM Modi said.

"One key aspect of progress is the change of mindset! Governments, for a long time now, had been working with the mindset that only the government knows everything and that only they should do everything. This mindset suppressed the country's talent, didn't let private sector grow," PM Modi said.

"Previous govts also had the mindset to avoid problems, 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 need for logistics, electricity/water supply," he added.

"Now, the new India is working with a new mindset and a new work culture. We have let go of 'Kaam-chalau' decisions... today, our policy is stable, predictable and futuristic," the prime minister said.

PM Modi further said that the Defence and Aerospace sectors will be two important pillars for making India 'Atmanirbhar' in the coming years.

"By 2025, our defence manufacturing scale would cross $25 billion. Defence corridors being established in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu would power this scale," PM Modi said.

"New India is moving ahead aggressively in manufacturing, production, logistics sectors and startups. The mantra of Sabka Prayas will pave the way for more opportunities," PM Modi remarked.

"I urge every big industry to make a startup cell and progress along with the youth that are transforming the startup sector of India," PM Modi said.

"C-295 aircraft is a direct product of PM Modi's visionary Make In India policy, a policy that has encouraged my company, Airbus, to reimagine the way we do business in India... On average, we will deliver to India over 1 aircraft every week for next 10 years, said Christian Scherer, Airbus CCO.

Government has announced the Rs 22,000 crore project where a military plane will be produced in India for the first time by a private company.

The facility will cater to export of the aircraft as well as for additional orders by the IAF. The aircraft can be used for civilian purposes as well.

In September last year, India had sealed the deal with Airbus Defence and Space for the 56 C-295 aircraft to replace the ageing Avro-748 planes of the IAF.

Under the agreement, Airbus will deliver the first 16 aircraft in 'fly-away' condition from its final assembly line in Seville, Spain within four years and the subsequent 40 aircraft will be manufactured and assembled by the Tata Advanced Systems (TASL) in India as part of an industrial partnership between the two companies.

This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company, and at a cost of Rs 21,935 crore.