NEW DELHI: More than two months after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez inaugurated India’s first private-sector military aircraft manufacturing facility the C295 plant in Vadodara the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on Wednesday that the two countries have “agreed to further strengthen cooperation” in the defence sector.
The MEA statement followed External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s visit to Spain on January 13 and 14. During the visit, Jaishankar met Spanish Defence Minister Margarita Robles and highlighted the significance of the C295 aircraft assembly line in Vadodara, describing it as a milestone that has elevated defence and security cooperation between the two nations.
“The two sides agreed to further strengthen cooperation in the defence sector,” the MEA noted.
The C295 military aircraft is being manufactured by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) in collaboration with European aerospace giant Airbus. The main C295 production facility is located in Seville, Spain. A total of 56 aircraft are being produced under the project at a cost of Rs 21,935 crore. Of these, 16 aircraft will be delivered directly by Airbus from Spain, while the remaining 40 will be assembled in India.
The first aircraft from the Vadodara facility is expected to roll out in September 2026, with the remaining 39 scheduled for delivery by August 2031.
The next major project in the pipeline is the Indian Navy’s plan to acquire six next-generation stealth submarines.
Spanish company Navantia is among the contenders for this project. The Ministry of Defence requires an Indian bidder to tie up with a foreign manufacturer for making these submarines that are equipped with Air-Independent Propulsion systems.
In April 2023, Indian firm Larsen & Toubro (L&T) signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Navantia for this programme. Meanwhile, Mazagon Dock Limited (MDL) signed an MoU with German company Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in June 2023.
During his visit to Madrid, Jaishankar held discussions with his Spanish counterpart, Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares, reviewing the full spectrum of bilateral cooperation. They also explored opportunities for collaboration in emerging areas such as digital technology, artificial intelligence, renewable energy and space.
Jaishankar also had separate meetings with King Felipe VI of Spain and Spanish President Pedro Sanchez in Madrid on Tuesday.