Mahindra and Embraer pick Nagpur as likely final assembly site for C-390 transport aircraft
The Mahindra Group and Embraer have chosen Nagpur as a possible final assembly line if the IAF picks the C-390 Millennium for its medium transport aircraft programme.
Nagpur's importance in the country's defence and aerospace sector is likely to grow. The Mahindra Group and Brazilian aerospace major Embraer have chosen Nagpur as a potential final assembly line (FAL) for building and assembling the C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft under the Indian Air Force's proposed Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme.
If the Air Force selects the C-390 Millennium, a state-of-the-art aircraft manufacturing and assembly centre will be set up in the city. Mahindra and Embraer are pursuing the next steps with the Maharashtra government's support, so that the required land is made available and work on basic infrastructure speeds up.
The proposed centre will not only assemble aircraft. Emphasis will also be on systems integration, manufacturing engineering and building a local supply chain. The project, linked to the Centre's 'Atmanirbhar Bharat' and 'Make in India' campaigns, aims to strengthen a network of MRO and aftermarket services along with defence production.
Vinod Sahay, member of the Mahindra Group's Executive Board, and Bosco da Costa Junior, CEO of Embraer Defense and Security, have thanked the Maharashtra government for its support in land allotment and other necessary matters.
The C-390 Millennium is a multi-role military transport aircraft. It can carry a payload of 26 tonnes. Capable of landing on unpaved airstrips, it can also be used in disaster relief, military transport, and search and rescue operations.
The proposed aircraft is meant to replace the Air Force's ageing Soviet-era An-32 and Il-76 aircraft. Airbus Defence and Space's A400M and Lockheed Martin's C-130J Super Hercules are also in the race for the deal alongside the C-390 Millennium. The Air Force currently has 12 C-130J Super Hercules aircraft in service.
The strategic partnership between Mahindra and Embraer began after a memorandum of understanding in February 2024. The aim is to develop defence production, aircraft assembly and an MRO facility in India. Since then, the two companies have been working to build the sector's infrastructure in the country. The likely choice of Nagpur is seen as an important milestone in this process.
Embraer and the Mahindra Group are eyeing a proposal to buy about 80 medium transport aircraft for the Air Force. If the C-390 Millennium is selected for the deal, an assembly line could come up in Nagpur. However, the path to an actual production hub will open only if the contract is awarded to the two companies. Preliminary preparations are under way to set up a local production and support hub in India for this purpose.
