C-295 Manufacturing Unit A Milestone In ‘Atmanirbharta’ Drive Of Defence Sector: Rajnath Singh

New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday said the foundation stone of an aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara is a matter of pride for the entire country and a milestone in the ‘Make In India’ journey of the defence sector.

“Today, for the first time in the country, the foundation stone of an aircraft manufacturing facility is being laid by the private sector. It is certainly a matter of pride for the defence sector as well as for the entire country,” news agency ANI quoted Singh as saying.

“It’s not just a foundation stone but a milestone in defence sector’s ‘Atmanirbharta’ journey. C-295 aircraft manufactured at this facility will be state-of-the-art aircraft with superior capabilities and global standards. It’ll significantly enhance logistic capability of IAF,” the minister added.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday laid the foundation stone of C-295 Aircraft Manufacturing Facility – the first aircraft manufacturing facility in private sector in the country in Vadodara in Gujarat.

According to a statement released by the Prime Minister’s office, this facility will be utilised for manufacturing of 40 C-295 aircrafts for the Indian Air Force, through collaboration between Tata Advanced Systems Limited and Airbus Defence and Space, Spain. Speaking during the event PM Modi said that C-295 aircraft manufacturing facility will transform India’s Defence, Aerospace sectors.

The facility will be a key step towards achieving Aatmanirbharta in the Defence sector, and will also help unlock the potential of the private players in the sector, the statement informed.

Apart from making 40 aircraft, this facility at Vadodara would be manufacturing additional aircraft for Air Force requirements and exports, as per Defence Secretary Aramane Giridhar, as reported by the news agency ANI.