
India has reached a historic aviation milestone as the first privately manufactured military transport aircraft, the Airbus C-295, rolled out of the Tata-Airbus facility in Vadodara on May 11, 2026. This achievement marks the first time a private Indian company has assembled a military aircraft on domestic soil, shattering the long-standing state monopoly. Part of a ₹21,935 crore deal, this aircraft is the first of 40 to be built entirely in India to replace the IAF’s aging Avro-748 fleet. This ahead-of-schedule rollout serves as a high-octane boost for Aatmanirbhar Bharat and India’s global standing in defense manufacturing.