Tata teams up with France’s Airbus to manufacture helicopters in India

Tata Group has joined hands with Airbus to establish the country’s first private Final Assembly Line (FAL) for helicopters, in a big boost for India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.

The FAL will be responsible for putting together Airbus’ popular H125 helicopter from its civil range. This collaboration is a noteworthy milestone, as it represents the first instance of the private sector in India establishing a facility for helicopter manufacturing.

The establishment of the FAL aligns with the government’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) initiative, aimed at promoting indigenous manufacturing capabilities. This partnership builds on the existing cooperation between Tata and Airbus, who are already working together on the production of the C-295 transport aircraft in the state of Gujarat.

Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a subsidiary of the Tata Group, will be leading the charge in setting up this facility in collaboration with Airbus Helicopters. The announcement of this venture coincided with the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India as the Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

During Macron’s state visit, discussions were also held on potential collaboration in the defence sector, including the prospect of French engine maker Safran aiding in the production of fighter jet engines in India, an official told Reuters. France is currently the second-largest supplier of arms to India, and talks around Safran’s involvement included a 100 per cent transfer of technology in design, development, certification, and production.