New Delhi [India], January 27 : The Adani Group and Brazilian aerospace giant Embraer have officially entered into a strategic partnership to develop a comprehensive regional transport aircraft ecosystem in India. Announcing the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), both sides expressed a shared commitment to enhancing domestic connectivity and building a robust indigenous manufacturing base.
The initiative has received strong backing from the Indian government, with the Defence Secretary, Rajesh Kumar Singh saying, "The MOU also brings together India's rapidly expanding defence and aerospace capabilities with Embraer's global expertise in aircraft manufacturing, innovation and advanced aviation technology."
"This is, I'll echo your thoughts, this is not an Adani project or an MVIR project, it's an Indian aviation project. And for me, this is not about building aircraft, this is actually about building the Indian economy bottom up," said Ashish Rajvanshi, President & CEO, Adani Defence & Aerospace. He highlighted the potential for growth in Tier 2 and Tier 3 cities, noting that the project is "an opportunity for the tier two, tier three cities to come together and see how we can actually elevate the GDP coming from these cities."
Jeet Adani, Director of Adani Airport Holdings, emphasised the alignment of values between the two organisations, stating, "We started our partnership and participating very seriously in the Indian aviation ecosystem, oh even the regional aviation ecosystem. We share similar values and we have a shared vision for what this industry could be over here and we're looking forward to grow this partnership forward."
Arjan Meijer, President and CEO of Embraer Commercial Aviation, described the agreement as a "pivotal moment" for the industry. While specific financial details and production numbers remain under wraps for now, the collaboration aims to leverage the strengths of both companies, from aircraft assembly to airport infrastructure and pilot training.
Meijer noted the significance of the partnership, saying, "It's a first step, it's the announcement of an MOU but I think it's with a great partner like Adani. We have a lot of homework to do but we see our vision of working together very closely here in India." He further added, "We believe we have two capabilities that complement each other very nicely. Adani being active with airports, pilot training, MRO and of course Embraer very strong in building aircraft of the smaller segment."
Embraer, the world's third-largest aircraft manufacturer, sees India as one of its most critical markets. Meijer pointed out that while India has focused heavily on large-aircraft connectivity, there is a massive gap in the regional segment that smaller jets can fill. "We see markets for more than 500 aircraft in that smaller segment here in India based on how we operate elsewhere in the world," Meijer explained. "So we need smaller aircraft to connect India and to further build India into the future." He described the synergy between the two nations as a "perfect match," noting that "Brazil and India are very good friends" and that this partnership represents a major step in the technological and industrial cooperation between the two countries.
Looking ahead, the partners are working on an ambitious timeline to turn the vision into reality. Within the next six to eight weeks, details regarding the location of manufacturing facilities, business models, and investment scales are expected to be finalised. "In the next couple of years we're looking at the first aircraft to come out from India," the Defence Secretary shared, signalling a fast-tracked approach to local production.