BENGALURU: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday virtually inaugurated India’s first private-sector helicopter Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the Airbus H125 light helicopter at Vemagal in Kolar district. The 17-acre facility has been set up by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) in partnership with Airbus. The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to be delivered in early 2027 for domestic and export markets across South Asia.
Describing it as a major boost to self-reliance, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh said reforms like the corporatisation of ordnance factories and creation of defence industrial corridors have raised private sector participation in defence production to nearly 25%.
“Our defence exports have increased manifold, placing India among the leading defence exporters globally,” he said, noting that the H125 programme involves an investment exceeding Rs 1,000 crore and will generate significant employment opportunities.
French Minister for the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Catherine Vautrin said the project reflects France’s commitment to supporting India’s industrial and technological ambitions under the Make in India initiative, calling it another example of the trusted partnership between the two countries.
Union Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu said the facility positions India as an emerging rotary-wing manufacturing hub for South Asia. Calling defence and civil aviation the “twin strategic pillars” of the Indo-French partnership, he pointed to India’s rise from the 10th to the third-largest civil aviation market in just 11 years.
He said the facility will be certified by the European Union Aviation Safety Agency from inception. Customs duty exemptions announced in the Union Budget 2026 would further support aircraft manufacturing and MRO growth in the country, he added.
Karnataka Industries Minister MB Patil said the state has become the fourth global hub for H125 assembly after France, the United States and Brazil. It will initially produce 10 helicopters annually, with plans to scale up to 500 light helicopters over the next two decades. It will integrate avionics, hydraulic systems, engines and fuel systems, alongside a dedicated Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul unit.
N Chandrasekaran, Chairman, Tata Sons, termed the development “a landmark step in the nation’s journey towards self-reliance in aerospace and defence”. Bruno Even, CEO, Airbus Helicopters, said the FAL will also be capable of producing the military variant H125M with a level of local manufacturing that ensures Indian forces remain mission-ready. “It will also be a game-changer for the development of the civil helicopter market,” he added.
The collaboration marks TASL and Airbus’s second major project after the C295 military transport aircraft FAL, further strengthening India’s private aerospace manufacturing ecosystem. The H125 is widely used for emergency medical services, disaster relief, law enforcement and regional connectivity under the UDAN scheme. Its military variant, H125M, is designed for reconnaissance, high-altitude logistics and search-and-rescue missions. Notably, the H125 is the only helicopter to have landed on Mount Everest, according to a statement from the Ministry of Defence.