India’s Mahindra Group has tied up with Brazilian plane maker Embraer to develop a maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) facility for C-390 Millennium aircraft.
The latest announcement by the two companies follows the strategic partnership agreed upon in October last year. At that time, the two companies had announced plans to manufacture the multi-mission military transport aircraft in the country.
The partnership is in line with the government’s Make in India programme aimed at strengthening the local manufacturing environment in the country.
This is also expected to create employment opportunities in the defence manufacturing sector, which has been on the government’s priority list, particularly after the conflict with Pakistan last year.
In a statement, Mahindra’s Member of the Group Executive Board, Vinod Sahay, said that the state-of-the-art MRO facility in the country would improve the operational autonomy of the Indian Air Force.
“A state-of-the-art C-390 Millennium MRO capability in India would ensure high aircraft availability, enhanced operational autonomy, and a comprehensive local sustainment solution for the Indian Air Force throughout the aircraft’s lifecycle,” Sahay said.
The strategic importance of this development lies in the fact that the C-390 Millennium is considered one of the most advanced military transport aircraft in its class.
It has a payload capacity of up to 26 tons and higher speed and range than other medium transports. It can carry out cargo and troop transport, airdrops, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting, and humanitarian missions, and operate from temporary or unpaved runways.
Embraer has a longstanding presence in India, with nearly 50 aircraft across 11 different types currently in operation in the country in commercial, defense, and business aviation roles.
In the defense segment, the ERJ145 platform serves as the basis for the Indian Air Force’s ‘Netra’ AEW&C aircraft, while the Legacy 600 is operated by the Indian Air Force and the BSF for the transportation of government officials and VIPs.
