Brazilian aerospace company Embraer Defense & Security and India’s Mahindra Group have signed a strategic cooperation agreement to jointly offer the C-390 Millennium for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft programme. The agreement aims to establish local manufacturing, assembly, and maintenance capabilities for the aircraft in India.
Expanding Previous Collaboration
The new pact builds on a memorandum of understanding signed in February 2024, which outlined initial cooperation between the two companies. It now defines roles in marketing, industrialisation, and supply-chain development, taking the collaboration to a more concrete and operational level.
Working With India’s Defence Ecosystem
Both Embraer and Mahindra will engage closely with India’s defence establishment and private aerospace sector to identify potential partners for production and maintenance. The agreement is expected to strengthen India’s domestic aerospace capabilities and support the “Make in India” initiative in the defence sector.
Mahindra’s Existing Aerospace Experience
Mahindra Aerostructures, a unit of Mahindra Defence Systems, already has experience working with global aerospace manufacturers. Earlier this year, Airbus Helicopters awarded Mahindra Aerostructures contracts to manufacture and assemble the fuselage for the H125 and H130 light helicopters.
