Vadodara, Oct 28 : The Vadodara city is all decked up as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to arrive in the city along with his Spanish counterpart Pedro Sanchez on Monday.

They are set to inaugurate the Tata-Airbus aircraft facility, marking a pivotal moment in India's aviation sector.

Residents of Vadodara expressed their enthusiasm, hoping the visit would enhance India's international ties with Spain.

The Tata Aircraft Complex, situated at Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), will manufacture C-295 aircraft, a first for India's private sector in military aviation. This initiative promises a comprehensive ecosystem encompassing manufacturing, assembly, and lifecycle maintenance. Supporting entities include Bharat Electronics Ltd., Bharat Dynamics Ltd., and numerous private enterprises.

All work related to manufacturing, assembly, testing, delivery, and maintenance of aircraft will be done in this factory.

This military aircraft factory is being built by Tata Advanced Systems in partnership with Airbus Spain. It will be a symbol of the Indian government's flagship 'Make in India' initiative.

A deal was signed on September 24, 2021, between the Defence Ministry and Airbus Defence and Space SA to purchase 56 C-295 transport aircraft from Spain. Under this agreement, 16 aircraft will be delivered directly from Spain, whereas, 40 will be made in India.

The Defence Ministry had signed this deal with Airbus for 56 C-295 transport aircraft for Rs 21,935 crore.

Airbus has delivered six C-295s to the Indian Air Force (IAF), till date and the seventh aircraft will be delivered by the end of this year. The delivery of these 16 aircraft is to be completed by August 2025.

The first C-295 aircraft may come out of Tata-Airbus' factory in Vadodara in September 2026. The remaining 39 aircraft are to be delivered by August 2031.

Prime Minister Modi laid the foundation stone of the Vadodara factory dedicated to the C-295 aircraft program in October 2022. Once fully operational, the IAF is set to become the world's largest operator of the C-295, further enhancing its capabilities and operational readiness.

Spanish Prime Minister Sanchez's three-day visit to India started on Saturday. This is the first official visit of the Spanish top leadership to India after 18 years. Earlier, both leaders had met on several occasions during various multilateral meetings.

/IANS