New Delhi (India), June 11: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu today expressed happiness over the maiden test flight of the first Made in India Airbus C295 from Vadodara in Gujarat.
In a social media post, Naidu said, this is more than just an aircraft taking to the skies, it also reflects the country’s growing capabilities in aerospace manufacturing.
The Civil Aviation Minister also congratulated Airbus, Tata Advanced Systems, the Indian Air Force and all the engineers, technicians and workers regarding the achievement.
The first ‘Made in India’ Airbus C295 military transport aircraft has successfully completed its maiden test flight from the Final Assembly Line in Vadodara.
This marks a historic milestone as the first military aircraft to be manufactured in India by the private sector under the Government of India’s ‘Make in India’ vision.
The test flight moves the programme closer to delivering the first Indian-built C295 to the Indian Air Force this year. Out of the 40 aircraft to be built in India, this achievement reflects the combined efforts of Airbus, Tata Advanced Systems Limited, and Indian MSMEs contributing to the nation’s aerospace ecosystem.
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India's indigenous defence production hit a record ₹1,27,434 crore in FY 2023-24, a 174% surge from ₹46,429 crore in 2014-15, fueled by Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi's Atmanirbharta policies. The upward trajectory in defence production is the result of continued government support over the past decade in the form of huge allocation and policy level support extended to India s military industrial base.
The rise in the defence budget, from ₹2.53 lakh crore in 2013-14 to ₹6.81 lakh crore in 2025-26, underlines the government s determination to strengthen country s military infrastructure.
In order to reduce dependency on foreign countries, both public and private segments of the industry have demonstrated consistent year-on-year growth, attributed to far-reaching policy reforms, enhanced ease of doing business, and a strategic focus on indigenisation over the past decade.
India now exports to over 100 nations, including to United States, France and Armenia. Defence Public Sector Undertakings (DPSUs) and other PSUs accounted for approx. 77% of total production, while the private sector contributed 23%.
The share of the private sector, which increased from 21% in FY 2023-24 to 23% in FY 2024-25, reflects the sector's growing role in the defence ecosystem of the country.
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As a result, exports too saw a growth of Rs 2,539 crore or 12.04% over the exports figures of FY 2023-24.
The government aims to achieve defence manufacturing worth Rs. 3 lakh crore and ₹50,000 crore in defence exports by 2029, reinforcing India's role as a global defence manufacturing hub while boosting economic growth.
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