In a first, TASL inaugurates H125 chopper final assembly line in Kolar

BENGALURU/VEMAGAL: Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) Tuesday inaugurated India’s first private-sector helicopter final assembly line (FAL) for the Airbus H125 at Vemagal in Kolar, marking a new phase in domestic rotary-wing manufacturing.The facility was inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually. Defence minister Rajnath Singh, French armed forces minister Catherine Vautrin and civil aviation minister Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu were present at the event. “France is among India’s oldest strategic partners. Along with French President Macron, we have deepened this partnership further. This trust and vision has led to our relations to become a special global strategic partnership. This partnership isn’t just strategic. In today’s world of uncertainties, this is a partnership for global stability and progress,” Prime Minister Narendra Modi said after inaugurating the FAL.“Today, France has inaugurated the helicopter assembly line in India which is another bright example of this deep trust. We are proud that India and France together are building the world’s only helicopter that can touch the heights of Mt Everest in India. This helicopter will be exported to the entire world. India-France partnership knows no boundaries, it can reach from the depth of the oceans to the tallest mountains,” Modi added.Vautrin said: “Said: “The idea of setting up the facility in India was mooted during French President Macron’s visit to India in 2024 and the project is ready within two years thanks to industrial and economic policy of India. The achievements show the depth of India-France strategic partnership. It demonstrates France’s technological capabilities and India’s industrial strength can come together to boost the Make in India programme…This project is a concrete expression of trust, shared priorities and forward looking ambitions.” Singh congratulated Airbus and TASL teams, and said the total investment for the H125 programme is expected to exceed Rs 1,000 crore and create direct and indirect employment. “Renowned for its exceptional reliability, versatility and outstanding performance under diverse operational conditions, the H125 has proven to be one of the most effective and trusted single-engine helicopters globally. TASL and Airbus have earlier cooperated on the C295 military transport aircraft assembly, which is a symbol of how Tata in particular and India in general can collaborate with international OEMs and contribute to the Make in India vision,” Singh said.Airbus currently sources components and services worth over $1.5 billion annually from India, including complex aerostructures and systems.“Make in India” and Atmanirbharta have anchored India’s economic policy since 2014, aiming for self-reliance in critical technologies and high-end manufacturing through mutually beneficial partnerships, he said. “Over the past decade, India has pursued rapid industrial growth via large-scale infrastructure building, capital infusion across key sectors and a liberalised investment regime, while supporting MSMEs and start-ups. The goal is holistic industrial development serving domestic and global demand,” he added.In defence, production was long dominated by PSUs due to high capital needs and long gestation periods, limiting private participation, Singh said, adding that reforms such as corporatisation of ordnance factories, incentive schemes and defence corridors have raised private sector contribution to about a quarter of output. Defence exports have risen sharply, with over 16,000 MSMEs now engaged, many supplying foreign OEMs.The FAL will undertake manufacturing, integration, testing and maintenance of the civil H125 helicopter in India, with the capability to produce its military variant, the H125M. The first India-built H125 is expected to be delivered in early 2027 and will also be available for export within South Asia.“The H125 is the world’s best-selling single-engine helicopter and the only helicopter to have landed on the summit of Mount Everest. It has logged over 40 million flight hours globally and is widely used in India and the region,” TASL said.