'Stars Aligning To Advance Make In India Initiative': Adani Group, Embraer Announce Strategic Collaboration On Regional Aircraft In India

New Delhi: Adani Group and Brazilian major Embraer on Tuesday announced a strategic collaboration that aims to have a final assembly for regional transport aircraft in India. India is one of the world's fastest-growing civil aviation markets, and the partnership will look to help enhance air connectivity to Tier 2 and 3 cities.

The partnership was announced at a function at the civil aviation ministry in the national capital on Tuesday. Civil Aviation Secretary Samir Kumar Sinha said the collaboration is not just about assembling a regional aircraft but also about progressive technology transfer, skilling, having a robust supply chain, as well as making India a trusted manufacturing hub for regional aircraft.

Arjan Meijer, President and CEO of Embraer, expressed pride in the deal, stating, "We see a bright future in India, and we believe the stars are aligning to advance the Make in India initiative."

Meijer expressed strong support for the Adani group, stating, "We firmly believe in a partnership with Adani due to their expertise in supply chain, maintenance, repair and operations (MRO), and pilot training. Together, we can create a robust aviation ecosystem here in India. Additionally, we are very interested in collaborating with the Indian industry to promote deeper localisation."

He said, "We need to build our supply chain, and we believe that here in India, we can also do that with Indian partners ahead of us. So, a potential first regional assembly line in India, that's what we're looking at here. We're very bullish about making that happen... But as I said, we want to develop the indigenous market over the years to make this a made-in-India aircraft."

Meijer further assured that the deal will help boost tourism in India and provide everyday accessibility. "We are very certain that we will boost tourism across the country, and of course, provide everyday accessibility for Indians. So we believe the opportunity ahead of us is huge."

Adani Defence & Aerospace Director Jeet Adani said that with the Embraer collaboration, a regional aircraft manufacturing facility will be set up in India. Jeet emphasised that the initiative is designed to "redefine the future of aviation in our country," moving beyond a standard corporate deal to become a cornerstone of India's industrial strategy.

The partnership is deeply rooted in the "Atmanirbhar Bharat" (Self-Reliant India) initiative, which seeks to reduce dependence on imports by boosting local manufacturing.

Adani highlighted that "this partnership is more than just a business agreement. It is a vision taking flight." According to him, the venture "represents India's determination to build world-class aviation capabilities on our own soil," ensuring that the country can meet its rising demand for regional connectivity through homegrown solutions.

Adani remarked that "under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India has embraced bold reforms and ambitious initiatives that have transformed infrastructure and industry."

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh also attended the event marking the signing of an MOU between Adani Defence and Aerospace and Embraer. "This collaboration reflects the evolving character of India's defence and aerospace engagement with the world, one which is increasingly based on partnership, capability building and long-term strategic alignment," says the Defence Secretary.

Calling the deal a strategic development in the aerospace industry, Rakesh Kumar Singh said, "Aircraft assembly represents the convergence of advanced manufacturing, precision engineering, quality assurance and certification, as well as global supply chain integration. By bringing this capability to India, we are moving decisively up the value chain from being primarily a market for aircraft to becoming a participant in their production."

"India's security environment is marked by rapid technological change with evolving threat perceptions and increasing complexity across domains, air, land, sea, space, and cyber. Addressing these challenges requires not only capable armed forces but also a strong, well-prepared, and globally integrated defence industrial base. And this is the core objective driving the Government of India's defence manufacturing and aerospace policies," he added.

Embraer makes commercial jets with up to 150 seats. With the partnership, Adani Group, which already has a good presence in the fast-growing Indian aviation space, will be making its foray into building aircraft in India.

The two companies will also set up a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for regional transport aircraft in the country. Adani Defence & Aerospace President & CEO Ashish Rajvanshi said the collaboration is a "watershed" in Aatma Nirbharata (self-reliance) of the country. The venture with the Adani Group will be a major fillip for the Brazilian major in India's civil aviation space, where it aims to provide cost-competitiveness with its regional jets.

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