In a major boost to ‘Make in India’, Airbus Helicopters has announced that it is partnering with the Tata Group to establish a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for helicopters in the country. The FAL will produce Airbus’ best-selling H125 helicopter from its civil range for India and also for export to neighbouring countries.
In a statement issued on 26th January, France-headquartered Airbus announced that this will be the first helicopter manufacturing facility in India set up by the private sector, providing a major boost to the Government of India’s ‘Aatma Nirbhar Bharat’ programme. Under this partnership, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a subsidiary of Tata Group, will set up the facility along with Airbus Helicopters.
The announcement was made during the two-day visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India as Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26. Macron landed in Jaipur on Thursday, accompanied by a high-profile delegation that includes Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, Safran SA CEO Olivier Andries, and top executives from EDF SA and Dassault Aviation SA.
This will be the second Final Assembly Line set up by Airbus in India. Airbus and Tata group have already set up a plant in Gujarat to make the C-295 military transport aircraft, after the Indian govt ordered 56 C-295MW military transport aircraft from Airbus for IAF, 40 of which are to be made in India.
Airbus said that the Final Assembly Line for the H125 helicopter in India will undertake the integration of the major component assemblies, avionics and mission systems, installation of electrical harnesses, hydraulic circuits, flight controls, dynamic components, fuel system and the engine. It will also do testing, qualification, and delivery of the H125 to customers in India and the region. The FAL will take 24 months to set up and deliveries of the first ‘Made in India’ H125 choppers are expected to commence in 2026. The location of the FAL will be jointly decided by Airbus and the Tata Group.
“Helicopters are crucial for nation building. A ‘Made-in-India’ civil helicopter will not only be a symbol of the confident New India but will also unlock the true potential of the helicopter market in the country,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO. He added, “This helicopter final assembly line, which we will build together with our trusted partner Tata, is a reaffirmation of Airbus’ commitment to developing the full spectrum of the aerospace ecosystem in India. This will be the second final assembly line Airbus is building in India after the ‘Make in India’ C295 military aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.”
Tata Sons Chairman N. Chandrasekaran said, “The Tata Group is delighted to set up India’s first helicopter assembly facility in the private sector. This facility will have the final assembly line in partnership with Airbus for the world’s bestselling Airbus H125 single engine helicopter for the Indian as well as export markets.”
Airbus in its statement said that the H125 produced in India will catalyse the use of helicopters in the country. “This multi-mission workhorse will revolutionise passenger and goods transportation and will also be used for segments such as emergency medical services (HEMS), disaster management, law enforcement, tourism and aerial work missions. Providing last mile connectivity to remote areas, the H125 will significantly contribute to the Government of India’s regional connectivity scheme – Ude Desh ka Aam Naagrik (UDAN) that will further promote the tourism sector in the country,” the European aviation major sad.
It stated that the H125 is the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter that outclasses other helicopters in its category. The helicopter is a member of Airbus’ Ecureuil family, which can operate in high-and-hot and extreme environments and can be easily reconfigured for various missions, including aerial work, firefighting, law enforcement, rescue, air ambulance, passenger transport, and many others, the company added.
As per the company, H125 is the only helicopter to have landed on Mount Everest, demonstrating its agility in operating in high altitude, extreme environments.
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. India’s Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf said that Safran is willing to collaborate and share technology for the development of fighter jet engines in India.
