A comment on how the HS748 being replaced was more "Atmanirbhar" than C295:
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Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) for IAF
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I will say the video is just too sensationalist with very little substance...He assumes HAL & Tata can suddenly can start to make MTAs from scratch just because they have some few years of expertise of assembling certain aircrafts. He underestimate the complexity of manufacturing such big aircraft. There is a reason HAL/NAL tried to get foreign players get involved for RTA for a few years which led to nothing. Now are still debating about formatting SPV for RTA-90.
I thought the question he posed was very pertinent -- are these assembly jobs amounting to anything in terms of building capability?
If HS748 granted more customization ability than the C-295 assembly job, is the trend line going in the right direction?
Does GoI/MOD need to make more compromises and take risks and force a JV to happen, or will India forever be stuck on assembly jobs?
Not really. There is nothing wrong in these JVs, these provide necessary work experience to the companies involved. But that expertise is built over time. Also expertise is not the only thing that matters when it comes to building such a platform. Financial feasibility of that project, technological feasibility, geopolitics, etc. a lot of things comes into play. Government is working towards forming an SPV for RTA for this very reason. Such projects require a lot of money, support from not just government but also the civil aviation industry of India.
I Agree, IMO, we should see how the Chinese developed their Y-20 strategic airlifter; we have to find an international design and development partner and initially target to manufacture 40% of the airlifter in India, but we will get the full IPR of the airlifter to do any future upgrades. This will also provide jobs to high-skilled professionals, and it will bring the country's name into the club of a few elite countries that can design and develop their own airlifter.
We tried that with RTA. It went nowhere. NAL tried to form JVs with foreign companies. We need our civil aviation industry players to co-operate as well for such a project to be financially feasible...Maybe we can work with the French or Russian for this eventually but time will tell..
C-295 line by TASL is already a Joint Venture between them and Airbus btw. It's the same as HS748. Anyways TASL is doing more than just assembling C-295, they are actually building some of the components here in India for it. That's manufacturing not assembly.
It will take some time for TASL to join big boys club, let them grow up. Some of us like that Alpha defence guy are expecting too much from a fledgling.
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The Indian private sector is not interested in R&D to develop a full-scale design, as it needs lots of investment, and also you don't have the guarantee that the Indian Armed Forces will give you the required order. Indian industries are ready to invest at the component level, so only the government, with the help of HAL, NAL, and DRDO, can do this. They have the capacity; the only issue with government organizations is that to buy even a pin, you need to go through the process for six months.
I was talking about Cargo airlines here brother. They have to provide order for that particular aircraft in numbers as well.
In theory there's nothing wrong with what you're proposing. In reality that's unlikely to happen for the simple reason that the partnering co chosen for this JV with Airbus is the Tata Group.
It's the last organization which'd risk going it alone with an RTA like project or even with outside consultancy.
I'd go so far as to argue they'd not even push the envelope like the Chinese did or Turkey's doing like stealing or copying these designs or poaching Airbus staff respectively to realise such a project on their own.
L&T would've been a much better choice in this regard. People here abuse HAL for screwdrivergiri but TASL is just the pvt sector version of HAL. The Tata Group is essentially a bureaucracy masquerading as a business house.
TATA is doing far more localisation than HS748 ever reached. And they will be exporting fully manufactured C-295 in the long run. A private entity is always more agile to reach for opportunities. The government does not have to spoon-feed every time.
JVs dont fix assembly issue. Designing aircraft is a different skillset. Just because you learn to assemble wont prepare you to design an airframe.
You missed another issue. Certification laws governing any D&D is too cumbersome. There is a reason why you got hundreds of new drone startups just after the government liberalised the law. They created a separate category outside of the civil certification just for drones.
Under DGCA/CEMILAC its just impossible. Mahindra tried with their Australian partners a decade back, and they gave up after realising how hard it is with this regulation.
I had tried in 2011 for a surveillance blimp. complete ToT from a US company for the blimp. Lots of small small things which we overlook.
But just got tired. Its not just DGCA. There are 3 tracks. Compliance authority, User authority and Financing Authority. Each is a hell hole. Underlying all this is the bureaucracy.
Indian users expect you to pump all the money in R&D without support, without even covering trial costs. In this SSS did the right thing. Junk the Indian user. Sell abroad. Atleast you remain in business.
For a year, meant to be " Year of defense reforms", It was an year of disappointment. Sure things happened.. but not being worth of such tag. Was GOI not prepared beforehand before declaring this? Or the declaration meant to start the basic process. Can't even fault them, if that's the case, goes to show that you need a fkn 200KN Jet engine to move a Harop class drone in Indian Beauracracy. Pathetic.
Let there be danger to democracy, hollow these ministries, just wipe the mites.
Just.. less restriction, more accountability, reward outcome and severely punish the incompetence and ignorance.
Medium Transport Aircraft Programme Reflects India’s Push to Diversify Defence Imports
India is preparing to take a critical step in reshaping its military logistics and defence industrial strategy, with a request for proposal (RFP) for a Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) expected to be i
bharatshakti.in
RFP next month. Kawasaki C-2 in contention as well. Focus on long term resilience, lifecycle costs, industrial participation, and the ability to sustain the fleet domestically.
LM's VP of Business Development says RFP will be out soon. Watch at 8:40 for the point.
This is a rugged ac that can operate from austere airfields like ALGs on the Eastern front. No risk of FOD unlike jet transports of the KC-390 kind.
I do think we'll end up buying some more C-130Js regardless of who wins MTA.
As as *turbo* prop, It has airintakes, and propellers themselves can be chipped/damaged , so *less* risk of fod, but chances are still there
Agree. Athough, turboprops generally sit higher on the ac wings which makes them relatively safer. Also Hercules offers better redundancy as a 4 engine design.
Afaik, the prop blades are all composite in most modern ac for better FOD resistance.
Embraer and Mahindra Group Advance Localization Strategy in India with Planned C-390 Millennium MRO Capability
Embraer's Media Center: News, insights, and press releases on commercial aviation, defense & security, executive jets, and more. Filter by category and date.
embraer.com
Embraer (NYSE: EMBJ / B3: EMBJ3) and the Mahindra Group today announced plans to work towards establishing Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) capability in India for the C-390 Millennium upon selection in the Indian Air Force's Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program. The two companies signed a strategic cooperation agreement (SCA) in October 2025 to produce the C-390 Millennium multi-mission military transport aircraft in India. This collaboration aims to support the Indian Air Force's Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program, with plans to establish local manufacturing strengthening the 'Make in India' initiative.
The C‑390 Millennium is the most modern military transport aircraft in its class, offering a payload capacity of up to 26 tons and higher speed and range compared to other medium‑sized military transport aircraft. It is capable of performing a wide range of missions, including cargo and troop transport, airdrop operations, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting, and humanitarian missions. The aircraft can operate from temporary or unpaved runways and may be configured for air‑to‑air refuelling, both as a tanker and as a receiver. The in‑service fleet has demonstrated a mission completion rate above 99 percent, highlighting its productivity and reliability.
The proposed MRO facility will provide comprehensive in‑country maintenance and sustainment for the C‑390 fleet, supporting high levels of operational readiness and availability. The initiative reinforces the companies’ joint commitment to positioning the C‑390 Millennium as a strong solution for India’s future medium transport aircraft requirements.
The proposed MRO capability is expected to deliver a full spectrum of services, including base and heavy maintenance, structural inspections and testing, component repair and overhaul, avionics support, and training.
While the primary objective of the MRO is to support the Indian Air Force fleet, Embraer is also evaluating the potential for India to serve as a regional MRO hub, providing sustainment services for other C-390 Millennium operators in the future.
