<div style="text-align: justify; "><span style="font-size: 1rem;"><b>India's Tata group is set to begin making military aircraft in the country in the first such project by a local private company.</b></span><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; "><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Tata and Airbus will make C-295 transport aircraft for the Indian Air Force, the government announced on Thursday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">The project, valued at 219bn rupees ($2bn; £1.7bn), will be based in the western state of Gujarat.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">PM Narendra Modi will inaugurate the manufacturing unit on Sunday.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"This is the first project of its kind in which a military aircraft will be manufactured in India by a private company," India's defence ministry said in a statement. At the moment, only state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics makes aircraft for the armed forces.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">India is among the world's largest defence importers and has for decades largely depended on countries such as Russia for military equipment.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">But over the years, the government under Mr Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has pushed to reduce the country's reliance on international imports and boost domestic output.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Experts see the Tata-Airbus project as a step towards bolstering Mr Modi's Make in India campaign - an ambitious high-octane mission, vowing to turn the country into a global manufacturing hub.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The defence ministry said the deal offered a "unique opportunity for the Indian private sector to enter into technology intensive and highly competitive aviation industry".</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">As part of the project, the government in September 2021 had approved the procurement of 56 C-295 military transport aircraft from Airbus Defense and the Spain-based Space SA.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">These aircraft will replace Indian Air Force's (IAF) aging Avro fleet, but can also be used for civilian purposes, according to the press release.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Airbus will deliver 16 aircraft in flyaway condition between September 2023 and August 2025, while the rest will be made at the Gujarat facility by the Tata group.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify;">"The first Made in India aircraft is expected from September 2026," the defence ministry said. BBC</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br></div><div style="text-align: justify; ">bnbd24/kh</div>