Delivery is two months early. Under a contract with Airbus, India has received 16 aircraft from Spain, will manufacture 40 locally to replace ageing An-32s & HAL’s Avro 748s.
Inauguration of C-295 facility in Vadodara will mark red-letter day for India since it will be the first instance of a private company rolling out a military aircraft in the country.
Main attraction of this year’s parade is Tata-Airbus C-295 aircraft, which will fly for the first time. It will fly in the ‘Arjan formation’, flanked by two C-130 Js.
All-women tri-service contingent will consist of 144 women Agniveers. Republic Day Parade flypast will include debut of IAF's 1st C-295 aircraft & 'Tejas' formation.
At a time when IAF plans to replace even AN-32s, procurement of C295s is likely to come in handy because of load-carrying capacity & its ability to take off on shorter airstrip.
For an industry globally classified as hazardous, protections such as health insurance and a provident fund for workers are necessities. In Sivakasi, they remain elusive.
The industry forecasts exports are set to grow 16% in 2025-26, boosted by surplus domestic production and a drive to push into 26 underserved global markets with strong potential.
Indigenisation level will progressively increase up to 60 percent with key sub-assemblies, electronics and mechanical parts being manufactured locally.
It is a brilliant, reasonably priced, and mostly homemade aircraft with a stellar safety record; only two crashes in 24 years since its first flight. But its crash is a moment of introspection.
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