Seville, Spain I New Delhi: In a major boost to its defence preparedness, India on Friday received the final batch of 16 Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft in Seville, Spain—two months ahead of schedule. The formal handover ceremony took place at the Airbus assembly facility in Seville, with Indian Ambassador to Spain, Dinesh K. Patnaik, and senior Indian Air Force (IAF) officials in attendance.
The Indian Embassy in Madrid confirmed the early delivery in a statement on social media platform X (formerly Twitter), noting that it marks a critical milestone in the country’s ongoing efforts to modernize its military logistics and tactical transport capabilities.
Ambassador @DineshKPatnaik, along with senior officials from Indian Air Force, received the last of the 16 Airbus C-295 military transport aircraft at the Airbus Defence and Space assembly line in Seville. The delivery, two months ahead of schedule, marks an important milestone… pic.twitter.com/kKyLBXUuEi
— India in Spain (@IndiainSpain) August 2, 2025
The C-295 aircraft are part of a ₹21,000 crore deal signed in 2021 under which Airbus will supply 56 C-295 transport planes to the Indian Air Force. Of these, 16 are being manufactured at the Airbus facility in Spain, while the remaining 40 will be produced in India by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) at the upcoming Tata-Airbus Defence Manufacturing Facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.
The first 16 aircraft from Spain were slated for delivery by mid-2025, but Airbus completed the handover ahead of time, reflecting the fast-paced progress and strategic cooperation between India and Spain in defence manufacturing.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sánchez had jointly inaugurated the Tata-Airbus manufacturing plant in Vadodara in October 2024, a move seen as a landmark step towards self-reliance in defence under the ‘Make in India’ initiative.
The C-295 is a versatile, medium-lift tactical aircraft capable of performing a variety of missions, including troop and cargo transport, airdrops, medical evacuation, and maritime surveillance. The aircraft will gradually replace the ageing fleet of Avro-748 aircraft currently in service with the Indian Air Force.
With the final batch received and indigenous production underway, the C-295 programme is poised to significantly enhance the operational readiness and strategic reach of India’s air mobility forces.
