India flies its first home-assembled C-295 military transport plane, marking defence manufacturing leap

The Indian Air Force (IAF) announced the achievement on Wednesday, congratulating the entire team involved in the development and flight testing of the aircraft.

"The achievement reinforces India's growing aerospace capabilities and underscores the Indian Air Force's commitment to fostering indigenous defence capability under the vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat," the IAF said.

Part of ₹21,935-crore IAF procurement programme

The IAF is procuring 56 C-295 transport aircraft under a deal worth around ₹21,935 crore.

While 16 aircraft are being delivered in fly-away condition, the remaining 40 are being assembled in India by Tata Advanced Systems Limited in partnership with Airbus at a production facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.

The maiden flight of the first India-manufactured aircraft is being seen as a major boost to India's aerospace ecosystem and defence self-reliance ambitions.

BJP hails achievement as vindication of self-reliance push

Reacting to the development, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) described it as "a proud moment for every Indian."

In a social media post, the BJP said, "India's first Made-in-India C-295 military transport aircraft has successfully completed its maiden flight. From being a major importer to innovator, India's transformation reflects PM Modi's determination to make Atmanirbhar Bharat a reality."

The party added that every indigenous aircraft, defence breakthrough and Make-in-India success serves as a response to critics who had questioned India's self-reliance ambitions.

Boost for indigenous defence manufacturing

The successful maiden flight is expected to further strengthen India's push towards self-sufficiency in defence production and reduce dependence on foreign military imports.

It also highlights the growing role of the private sector in the country's defence manufacturing landscape, in line with the government's Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat initiatives.