Tata Group and Airbus have jointly signed a pact to manufacture civilian helicopters in the country.

The two companies finalised a deal to establish an assembly line for helicopters in India amid French President Emmanuel Macron’s Republic Day visit to the country.

Final Assembly Line (FAL) will produce Airbus’ best-selling H125 helicopter from its civil range for India and export to some of the neighbouring countries, an Airbus statement said.

FAL will be the first instance of the private sector setting up a helicopter manufacturing facility in India.

Under this partnership, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a subsidiary of Tata Group, will set up the facility along with Airbus Helicopters.

FAL in India will integrate the major component assemblies, avionics and mission systems, installation of electrical harnesses, hydraulic circuits, flight controls, dynamic components, fuel system and the engine. It will also do testing, qualification, and delivery of the H125 to customers in India and the region.

FAL will take 24 months to set up and deliveries of the first ‘Made in India’ H125s are expected to commence in 2026. The location of the FAL will be jointly decided by Airbus and the Tata Group.

The proposed helicopter manufacturing facility will be the second FAL to be established in India by Airbus, leveraging TASL’s capabilities in aerospace and defence. The two companies are building the C295 military transport aircraft FAL in Vadodara, Gujarat.

“Helicopters are crucial for nation building. A ‘Made-in-India’ civil helicopter will not only be a symbol of the confident New India but will also unlock the true potential of the helicopter market in the country,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus CEO.

N. Chandrasekaran, chairman, Tata Sons, said, “The Tata Group is delighted to set up India’s first helicopter assembly facility in the private sector. This facility will have the final assembly line in partnership with Airbus
for the world’s bestselling
Airbus H125 single-engine
helicopter for the Indian as well as export markets.”

Undisputed in its class, the H125 produced in India will catalyse the use of helicopters in the country. This multi-mission workhorse will revolutionise passenger and goods transportation and will also be used for segments such as emergency medical services (HEMS), disaster management, law enforcement, tourism and aerial work missions.

The H125 is the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter that outclasses other helicopters in its category. This high-performing versatile helicopter is a member of Airbus’ Ecureuil family, which has accumulated more than 38 million flight hours worldwide. It can operate in high-and-hot and extreme environments. It can be easily reconfigured for various missions, including aerial work, firefighting, law enforcement, rescue, air ambulance, passenger transport and many others.

The H125 is the only helicopter to have landed on Mount Everest, demonstrating its agility in operating in high-altitude, extreme environments.

The latest announcement is part of Airbus’s efforts to develop a holistic aerospace ecosystem in India, where the company is expanding its industrial footprint with aircraft assembly, component manufacturing, engineering and digital design and development, MRO support, pilot and maintenance training as well as academic collaboration to foster human capital.