MUMBAI: European aviation major Airbus said on Wednesday it has mandated Tata Advanced Systems to manufacture cargo and bulk cargo doors of the A320neo aircraft family.
TASL will produce these doors at a new facility in Hyderabad, using cutting-edge robotics and automation technology, Airbus said in a statement.
Each shipset will include two cargo doors and one bulk cargo door, according to the aircraft manufacturer.
The announcement came weeks after Tata Group-owned Air India placed an order for 470 aircraft, including 270 planes with Airbus.
The contract is a significant step towards increasing Airbus' competitiveness in the single-aisle aircraft market and supporting the ramp-up of the A320 programme, Airbus said in the statement.
Airbus presently procures components and services worth USD 735 million every year from more than 100 Indian suppliers, according to the statement.
The aircraft maker claims that currently every commercial aircraft and helicopter produced by it has critical technologies and systems designed, manufactured and maintained in India.
"The latest contract underlines our continued commitment to 'make-in-India' for an AatmaNirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India)," said Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia.
In addition, Airbus will build the C295 military aircraft Final Assembly Line (FAL) with TASL in Gujarat, the first concrete, large-scale manufacturing aerospace programme in the private sector, Airbus said.
The programme will unlock the potential for cutting-edge design, component manufacturing, aircraft assembly and services capabilities across the value chain, fully addressing the Indian government's ambition of an 'aatmanirbhar Bharat' in defence manufacturing, it said.
In TASL, Airbus has a trusted and able partner that will support the ramp-up of the A320neo family aircraft, said Maillard and added, "we will continue to grow our industrial footprint and the aviation and aerospace ecosystem at a fast pace in India."
TASL has an ongoing relationship with Airbus and "this new contract win will further bolster our partnership in aerospace manufacturing in India," said Sukaran Singh, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer at Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL).