Airbus has expanding its “Made in India” program with a deal with Tata Group that will see Airbus Helicopters assembled on a new Final Assembly Line (FAL) in India.
The program is part of India’s plan to be self-reliant which already see’s Airbus C295 Military aircraft for India assembled there.
This will be the first time a private sector company has set up a helicopter manufacturing facility in the country and will be used for the Airbus H125 Helicopter for clients in India as well as being exported to the wider region.
The H125 is the worlds best selling single-engine helicopter and is well suited to mountainous regions being the only helicopter to have landed on Everest.
N. Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, said, “The Tata Group is delighted to set up India’s first helicopter assembly facility in the private sector. This facility will have the final assembly line in partnership with Airbus for the world’s bestselling Airbus H125 single engine helicopter for the Indian as well as export markets.”
The final assembly line is expected to take around two years to set up with the first “Made in India” H125’s to be delivered in 2026.
“Helicopters are crucial for nation building. A ‘Made-in-India’ civil helicopter will not only be a symbol of the confident New India but will also unlock the true potential of the helicopter market in the country,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. “This helicopter final assembly line, which we will build together with our trusted partner Tata, is a reaffirmation of Airbus’ commitment to developing the full spectrum of the aerospace ecosystem in India. This will be the second final assembly line Airbus is building in India after the ‘Make in India’ C295 military aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.”
