Eyeing IAF order for transport planes, Embraer and Mahindra join hands
The IAF’s potential order for 40 to 80 MTA is expected to involve technology transfer and setting up a manufacturing line in the country for a higher level of indigenisation
Brazilian defence firm Embraer Defense and Security and the Mahindra group on Friday announced they have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to collaborate on the C-390 Millennium aircraft in response to the Indian Air Force’s requirement for new medium transport aircraft (MTA).
The IAF’s potential order for 40 to 80 MTA is expected to involve technology transfer and setting up a manufacturing line in the country for a higher level of indigenisation.
“We are honoured to announce this MoU with Mahindra. India has a diverse and strong defense and aerospace industry and we have chosen Mahindra as our partner to jointly pursue the MTA programme,” Embraer Defense and Security CEO Bosco da Costa Junior.
Also Read: Competition heats up for IAF’s medium transport aircraft deal
“India is a key market for Embraer, and we fully support India’s ambitions for ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’. We see this partnership as a symbol of strengthening relations between Brazil and India and a way to foster Global South cooperation.”
Apart from Brazilian Embraer Defense and Security’s C-390 Millennium, US aerospace firm Lockheed Martin’s C-130J and European Airbus Defence and Space’s A-400M aircraft will vie for the Indian order, as previously reported by HT.
The IAF is looking for a new transport aircraft in the 18 to 30-tonne cargo carrying capacity.
Embraer and Mahindra will engage with IAF to identify the next steps of the MTA programme, as well as reach out to the local aerospace industry in India to start developing the industrialisation plan for the project, Embraer said in a statement.
“The C-390 Millennium is the most advanced military airlifter in the market, and we believe that this partnership will not only bolster the operational prowess of IAF, but also provide an efficient industrialisation solution that aligns seamlessly with the objectives of Make in India,” said Vinod Sahay, president of Mahindra’s aerospace and defence business.
Both Embraer and Mahindra will explore the potential to turn India into a future hub of the C-390 aircraft for the region, the statement added.
The IAF currently operates 12 C-130J aircraft, while Airbus is jointly executing a ₹21,935-crore project with Tata Advanced Systems Limited to equip the air force with 56 C-295 aircraft to modernise its transport fleet.
In the defence sector, Embraer has so far supplied eight jets to India for VVIP travel and use as airborne early warning and control aircraft.
The information sought by the IAF from original equipment manufacturers last year includes scope of technology transfer; methods to enhance indigenisation and to setup a dedicated manufacturing line, including design, integration and manufacturing processes in India; capability to undertake indigenous manufacture of systems, subsystems, components and spares; and making India a regional or global hub for manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) of the equipment.
