VADODARA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez held a roadshow in Gujarat’s Vadodara city on Monday morning as they travelled in an open jeep and greeted people standing on both sides of the route.
Both the PMs waved at the crowd gathered along the 2.5-km stretch of the route from the airport to the Tata aircraft complex in the city which they will inaugurate.
Modi and Sanchez were greeted with performances by various artists showcasing India’s rich culture as they proceeded towards the Tata Advanced Systems facility here.
The two leaders will jointly inaugurate the Tata Advanced Systems facility before heading to the historic Laxmi Vilas Palace to hold a bilateral meeting.
The complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft by the Tata Advanced Systems is the first private sector final assembly line for military aircraft in India.
As many as 40 aircraft will be built in the Vadodara facility as part of an agreement, while aviation behemoth Airbus will deliver 16 aircraft directly.
The Tata Advanced Systems is responsible for making these 40 aircraft in India and the facility will be the first private sector final assembly line (FAL) for military planes in India.
It will involve the full development of a complete ecosystem, from manufacture to assembly, test and qualification, to delivery and maintenance of the complete life cycle of the aircraft.
Apart from the Tatas, leading defence public sector units, such as Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics, as well as private micro, small and medium enterprises will contribute to this programme.
Modi had laid the foundation stone for the Vadodara final assembly line in October 2022.