Airbus Helicopters has partnered with Tata Group to manufacture its Airbus H125 helicopters in India, giving a boost to ‘Make in India’. The French and Indian brands will establish a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for helicopters in the country and will make its best-selling H125 helicopter from its civil range for India and export to some of the neighbouring countries.
This is also the first instance of the private sector setting up a helicopter manufacturing facility in India.
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Under this partnership, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a subsidiary of Tata Group, will set up the facility along with Airbus Helicopters. The announcement was made during the two-day visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India as Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26.
Interestingly, this is not the first time Airbus has partnered with Tata Advanced Systems to boost the Government of India’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ programme. Airbus Defence and Space (Airbus DS) entered a collaboration for manufacturing and assembly of the 40 fly-away Airbus C-295 medium–lift tactical transport airport aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
Airbus-Tata Group Partnership
The Tata Group FAL will undertake the integration of the major component assemblies, avionics and mission systems, installation of electrical harnesses, hydraulic circuits, flight controls, dynamic components, fuel system and the engine for the Airbus H125 helicopters.
It will also do testing, qualification, and delivery of the H125 to customers in India and the region. The 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.
Airbus H125: Best-Selling Helicopter
The Airbus H125 is a multi-mission workhorse used for passenger and goods transportation and can 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 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 and can be easily reconfigured for various missions. The H125 is the only helicopter to have landed on Mount Everest, demonstrating its agility in operating in high altitude, extreme environments.
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“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.
“This helicopter final assembly line, which we will build together with our trusted partner Tata, is a reaffirmation of Airbus’ commitment to developing the full spectrum of the aerospace ecosystem in India. This will be the second final assembly line Airbus is building in India after the ‘Make in India’ C295 military aircraft manufacturing facility in Vadodara, Gujarat.”
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.”