PM Modi and Macron Launch India’s First Private-Sector Helicopter Manufacturing Facility

Mumbai — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday virtually inaugurated the Final Assembly Line (FAL) for H125 helicopters at the Vemagal Industrial Area in Kolar, Karnataka, near Bengaluru.

The facility marks India’s first helicopter manufacturing plant in the private sector. It will initially produce 10 H125 helicopters annually, catering to both domestic requirements and export markets in neighbouring countries. Production capacity is expected to scale up significantly to meet a projected demand of 500 units over the next two decades. The first “Made in India” H125 is slated to roll out by early 2027.

Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin attended the ceremony in person as part of the India-France Annual Defence Dialogue.

Expanding India–France Aerospace Collaboration

Alongside the helicopter initiative, the bilateral partnership is advancing in fixed-wing aircraft manufacturing. The first “Made in India” C295 military transport aircraft is expected to roll out from the Vadodara facility in Gujarat by September 2026.

Of the 56 C295 aircraft ordered by the Indian Air Force (IAF), 16 have already been delivered from Spain. The remaining 40 aircraft are being manufactured domestically. The programme has engaged 37 Indian suppliers, with approximately 70 percent of components sourced locally.

Strategic and Economic Significance

The H125, a globally recognised single-engine helicopter known for its exceptional “hot and high” performance — including a record landing on Mount Everest — will serve civil missions, emergency medical services, and tourism. Plans are also underway to manufacture the H125M, its military variant, at the same Karnataka facility to support India’s armed forces.

Defence analysts view the dual-track collaboration — C295 production in Gujarat and H125 manufacturing in Karnataka — as a key component of India’s “Aatmanirbhar Bharat” (self-reliant India) initiative in the aerospace and defence sectors.

The partnership is projected to generate over 10,000 jobs and foster a comprehensive high-technology manufacturing ecosystem spanning precision components, assembly, and final flight testing.

With inputs from IANS