New Delhi: India’s Mahindra Group and Brazil’s Embraer, both of which have tied up for the Indian Air Force (IAF) mega deal for Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA), have identified Nagpur as the location for the final assembly line for C-390 Millennium aircraft production in India.
In a joint statement, the companies said preparatory discussions and planning activities are underway regarding an industrial and support ecosystem for the Embraer C-390 Millennium in India. They said that they are working with the Maharashtra government, and have identified Nagpur for a potential final assembly line.
“The proposed facility would support the local assembly and industrialisation of the aircraft in India, subject to the Embraer C-390 Millennium being selected by the Government of India and an order being placed under the IAF’s MTA programme,” the joint statement read.
The companies are working closely with the Maharashtra government on completion of the associated processes, with the objective of ensuring that the required industrial infrastructure can be set up expeditiously if the programme is awarded to the partnership, they added.
The main competition for the duo is the Tata-Lockheed Martin combo, which is offering its C-130J-30 aircraft to the IAF.
Both companies have time till December to respond to a Request for Proposal (RFP) by the IAF, which aims to procure 60 MTA to replace the AN32 aircraft and the aging IL-76s. This would be the biggest transport aircraft deal in the world, and the procurement numbers will eventually go up from the current 60.
Mahindra and Embraer said that subject to the programme award, the partnership intends to progressively integrate Indian aerospace companies into the C-390 Millennium ecosystem to deliver manufacturing, aftermarket services, training and lifecycle support.
Embraer and Mahindra entered into a Strategic Cooperation Agreement in October 2025 to jointly advance the C-390 Millennium for IAF’s MTA programme, building on the earlier MoU signed in February 2024. The agreement envisages collaboration on industrialisation, local manufacturing, assembly, supply chain development and MRO activities in India.
In February this year, the companies also announced plans to work towards establishing a C-390 Millennium MRO capability in India, subject to the aircraft’s selection under the MTA programme.
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