Nagpur: The city has been identified as the potential location for a final assembly line for Embraer’s C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft, as Mahindra Group and Brazilian aerospace major Embraer begin preparations for local manufacturing under the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Medium Transport Aircraft programme.The proposed facility, being planned with Maharashtra govt, would support aircraft assembly and industrialisation in India, including systems integration, manufacturing engineering and development of a local aerospace supply chain. However, the project remains contingent on Govt of India selecting C-390 Millennium and placing an order under the IAF programme, a joint media statement issued by both companies said.Mahindra and Embraer are working with Maharashtra govt to complete associated processes and enable the required industrial infrastructure to be progressed if the programme is awarded to their partnership.“Mahindra is committed to building a globally competitive aerospace ecosystem in India and to creating meaningful manufacturing and technology capabilities,” Vinod Sahay, member of the Mahindra Group Executive Board, said. He said Nagpur offered “a compelling opportunity” for such a capability and thanked Maharashtra govt for expediting land allotment and related requirements.Embraer Defense & Security president and CEO Bosco da Costa Jr said identifying Nagpur as a potential assembly location was ‘an important step in building a robust, long-term aerospace ecosystem in the country’.The proposed facility is expected to bring aircraft assembly, systems integration and manufacturing know-how to India. If the programme is awarded, Mahindra and Embraer intend to progressively integrate Indian aerospace companies into the C-390 ecosystem, covering manufacturing, aftermarket services, training and lifecycle support.The partnership’s plans build on a strategic cooperation agreement signed in Oct 2025, following an MoU in Feb 2024. The agreement covers industrialisation, local manufacturing, assembly, supply-chain development and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities. In Feb 2026, the companies also announced plans to work towards establishing C-390 MRO capability in India, subject to the aircraft’s selection.
