Vadodara,
BJP In the ruling state of Gujarat, the election commission is expected to announce the assembly election anytime soon. At the moment, there is a plan to set up a factory in Vadodara in the state to manufacture ‘C-295’ fighter jets (transport aircraft) required by the Indian Air Force at a cost of Rs 21,935 crore.
Europe’s leading airline company Airbus and the Tata Group will jointly manufacture the aircraft at this factory. The fighter jets manufactured here will be supplied to the Indian Air Force and exported. This is the first time that the C-295 will be manufactured outside of Europe.
The foundation stone laying ceremony for this aircraft factory was held yesterday. Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone for the factory at a ceremony in the presence of Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and Civil Aviation Minister Jyothir Aditya Scindia. Speaking on the occasion, Prime Minister Modi said:-
“Today we have taken a big step towards our goal of becoming the world’s manufacturing hub. India manufactures warplanes, tanks, submarines, medicines, vaccines, electronics, cell phones and cars. They are popular in many countries.
We march forward with the mantra ‘Make in India, Make for the World’. India is now the world’s largest manufacturer of transport aircraft. In the future, India will manufacture the largest passenger aircraft with the proud slogan of Made in India.
Today, the foundation stone of this factory has the potential to transform the country’s defense and transport aviation industry. This is the first time that a huge investment has been made in the Indian defense sector. Transport aircraft manufactured here will not only strengthen our defense forces but also help create a new ecosystem in aircraft manufacturing. Vadodara, renowned for being a cultural hub and educational hub, will create a new identity as an aviation hub.
The promise of ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ will give the land a big push as the factory will get export orders from other countries in future.
We are going to enter the top 3 countries in the world in aviation. India needs more than 2,000 aircraft in the next 15 years. Laying the foundation stone for setting up this plant is an important step towards this goal. India has already started preparations for this.
Companies from more than 160 countries have invested in India in the last 8 years. Foreign investments are not limited to specific industries. They are spread over 31 states in 61 sectors. 3 billion USD (about Rs. 24 thousand crores) has been invested in the space industry alone. Since 2014, investment in this sector has grown 5 times over the period 2000-2014. In the future, the military and space sectors are going to be the main pillars in the self-reliance sector.
By 2025, we have set a target of more than USD 25 billion (roughly Rs. 2 lakh crore) for our military logistics production. Our defense logistics exports exceed US$ 5 billion (about Rs. 40 thousand crores).
Security corridors in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu will be very helpful in boosting this sector further.”
This is what he said.