Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez arrived in Vadodara, Gujarat, early Monday morning, marking his first official visit to India. Sanchez’s visit comes ahead of a joint appearance with Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a roadshow and the inauguration of a new Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) facility.
Sanchez’s flight landed at around 1.30 am, kicking off his engagements in India.
On Monday morning, Sanchez and Modi will take part in a 2.5-km roadshow from the Vadodara airport to the newly established TASL site.
Local culture will be on display along the route, as part of a series of cultural showcases.
Following the roadshow, Sanchez and Modi will officially inaugurate the TASL facility, a major step for India’s private sector as it becomes the first domestic final assembly line (FAL) for military aircraft.
This Vadodara site, dedicated to producing C-295 transport aircraft, will fulfil part of a broader agreement that tasks the Tata Group with constructing 40 aircraft domestically.
Another 16 aircraft will be provided directly by Airbus.
The two leaders are also expected to visit Vadodara’s historic Laxmi Vilas Palace for a bilateral meeting organised by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA), followed by lunch at the palace.
Sanchez will continue his visit in Mumbai on Tuesday before returning to Spain late Tuesday night.
The new TASL facility is a significant step for India’s defence manufacturing sector, involving partnerships with leading public sector defence entities Bharat Electronics and Bharat Dynamics, as well as a number of private small and medium enterprises contributing to the programme’s supply chain and support ecosystem.
Modi previously laid the foundation for this final assembly line in October 2022, underscoring India’s growing capability in indigenous military production.
Follow us
