In a landmark moment for India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat mission, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will today virtually inaugurate the nation's first-ever private sector helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL). Operating via videoconference from Mumbai, the leaders will officially launch the facility in Vemagal, Karnataka. This high-tech plant, a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus, marks a significant deepening of the Indo-French strategic partnership and signals a new era for domestic aerospace manufacturing.
10 key highlights of the Tata-Airbus partnership:
1. First of its kind: This is India’s first helicopter assembly facility established entirely by the private sector, ending the long-standing monopoly in the rotorcraft manufacturing space.
2. Strategic location: The facility is situated in Vemagal, Karnataka (near Bengaluru), leveraging the region’s robust aerospace ecosystem and skilled workforce.
3. The model: The plant will manufacture the Airbus H125, the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter, renowned for its versatility and performance in extreme conditions.
4. Timeline to takeoff: The first "Made in India" H125 is expected to roll out and be delivered to customers by early 2027.
5. Himalayan readiness: The H125 is the only helicopter to have successfully landed on Mount Everest, making it the ideal choice for India’s high-altitude Himalayan frontiers and icy border regions.
6. Military expansion: While the focus is civil, the facility plans to produce a military version—the H125M—with high levels of indigenous technology to meet the Indian Armed Forces' requirements for light multi-role helicopters.
7. Total manufacturing scope: TASL will handle the complete lifecycle, including assembly, integration of electrical and mechanical systems, testing and final flight trials before delivery.
8. Export potential: In addition to meeting domestic demand, helicopters produced at this FAL will be exported to other countries in the South Asian region.
9. A growing partnership: This is the second assembly line Tata and Airbus are building together, following the C295 military transport aircraft facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.
10. Economic impact: Beyond manufacturing, the project strengthens a relationship where Airbus already sources over $1.4 billion worth of components and services from India annually, supporting thousands of local jobs.
