Tata Boeing Aerospace Limited (TBAL), the joint venture between Boeing and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), has achieved a major milestone by rolling out its 400th fuselage for the AH-64E Apache attack helicopter from its advanced manufacturing facility in Hyderabad.
The 52,000-square-metre facility manufactures the Apache fuselages entirely in India before they are shipped for integration into complete helicopters supplied to customers across the world, including the US Army. The milestone underlines India’s increasing importance in the global aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem.
Established in 2016, TBAL has grown into a key contributor to Boeing’s global Apache supply chain. The Hyderabad facility employs more than 750 engineers and technicians and uses advanced robotics, automation and aerospace manufacturing technologies to produce the helicopter’s fuselage aerostructures.
The achievement also strengthens India’s Make in India credentials in high-value defence manufacturing. The locally produced fuselages are not limited to domestic requirements but form part of a global supply chain supporting Apache helicopters deployed internationally.
India is also an Apache operator. The Indian Army received six AH-64E Apaches in 2025, while the Indian Air Force operates 22 Apache helicopters.
The 400th fuselage comes just over a year after TBAL crossed the 300-fuselage milestone in February 2025, highlighting the pace at which India’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities are scaling.
The milestone represents more than a production number. It signals India’s transition from being primarily a buyer of advanced defence platforms to becoming an increasingly important manufacturer and global supplier of sophisticated aerospace structures.
With Tata-Boeing’s Hyderabad facility supplying components for aircraft used worldwide, India’s role in global defence supply chains is moving steadily up the value chain.
