IAF to get first Airbus C-295 transport aircraft this month
New Delhi (PTI): India will get its first Airbus C-295 tactical military transport aircraft this month, an official of the European aircraft manufacturer said on Thursday.
"The first C-295 aircraft will be delivered to the Indian Air Force this month only," Remi Maillard, Airbus India President and Managing Director, told a press conference here.
Maillard was interacting with reporters after Airbus inked a memorandum of understanding with the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya to train engineers for the aviation sector.
An Airbus functionary said that Indian Air Force chief Air Marshal V R Chaudhari will travel to Seville in Spain to take the delivery of the first C-295 aircraft.
India had inked an agreement with Airbus for supply of 56 C-295 military transport aircraft in September 2021.
As per the agreement, 40 aircraft will be built at the facility set up by Tata Advanced Systems Limited in partnership with Airbus at Vadodara.
Airbus will supply 16 aircraft in fly away condition from its facility in Spain.
The C-295, having 5-10 tonne capacity, is used for tactical transport of up to 71 troops or 50 paratroopers, and for logistic operations to locations that are not accessible to current heavier aircraft. It also has a proven capability of operating from short or unprepared airstrips.
Maillard said the aircraft production in India will begin in 2026.
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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister Priyank Kharge met a high-level delegation from Chile, led by Chilean Foreign Minister Francisco Pérez Mackenna, at Vidhana Soudha on Thursday to discuss collaboration in emerging technologies, clean energy, and startup ecosystems, officials said.
The delegation’s visit to Bengaluru, as part of its India engagements, underscores Karnataka’s growing prominence as a preferred partner for global collaborations in technology, innovation, and startup ecosystems, officials added.
The discussions reflected strong alignment between Chile’s evolving technology-focused growth strategy and Karnataka’s established leadership in innovation and deep-tech ecosystems, according to a statement.
Both sides explored opportunities to build partnerships that move beyond traditional sectors and focus on innovation-led growth, talent exchange, and market access.
The meeting focused on opportunities in renewable energy, including green hydrogen and sustainable industrial innovation.
Other potential areas of collaboration included marine biotechnology, aquaculture technologies, and AI applications across traditional industries.
According to the state IT minister, Karnataka is now a global hub for deep-tech, AI, biotech, aerospace, and advanced research, backed by one of the world’s strongest talent pipelines.
“As partners under the global innovation alliance, we must move beyond agreements on paper to actionable collaboration,” Kharge said.
“We are keen to work with Chile on startup exchanges, market access programmes, and building joint innovation corridors, including R&D centres, incubators, and accelerators. Chile’s position as a gateway to Latin America presents a significant opportunity for our startups to scale globally,” he added.
Officials said the engagement builds on the Letter of Intent signed between the Government of Karnataka and the Government of Chile during the Bengaluru Tech Summit, which established a framework for collaboration in startups, emerging technologies, research, and skill development under the Global Innovation Alliance.
Mackenna, Chile’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, said the country is actively advancing its transition toward a knowledge- and technology-driven economy.
“Our engagement with Karnataka reflects our interest in building strong innovation partnerships that enable technology exchange, talent collaboration, and access to dynamic startup ecosystems,” he added.
“We see significant potential to work together in sectors such as clean energy, digital technologies, and emerging industries, while also strengthening Chile’s role as a bridge between India and Latin America,” he said.
