First ‘Made in India’ C-295 aircraft to roll out before September, Jaishankar says during talks with Spanish counterpart
New Delhi, January 22. India and Spain have reaffirmed their expanding strategic and economic partnership, with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar announcing that the first ‘Made in India’ C-295 military transport aircraft is expected to roll out of the Vadodara assembly line before September this year – a key milestone in bilateral defence industrial cooperation.
Speaking during delegation-level talks with Spanish Foreign Minister José Manuel Albares in New Delhi on January 21, Jaishankar said the upcoming rollout reflects the growing depth of India-Spain collaboration in defence manufacturing and New Delhi’s commitment to building resilient domestic industrial capabilities. The Airbus-Tata C-295 final assembly line in Vadodara was jointly inaugurated by leaders of both countries in October 2024.
Jaishankar welcomed Albares and his delegation to India and conveyed condolences over the victims of a recent train accident in Spain’s Cordoba. He described India-Spain ties as warm and friendly, anchored in shared democratic values, respect for multilateralism, and a rules-based international order, noting that political engagement between the two countries has steadily expanded through regular high-level exchanges.
The two sides highlighted that 2026 marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between India and Spain. To commemorate the milestone, both countries are observing a Dual Year of Culture, Tourism and Artificial Intelligence. The ministers jointly unveiled the official logo for the celebrations, selected from more than 1,900 entries through an open competition.
Jaishankar said the Dual Year reflects a shared effort to blend rich cultural traditions with future-oriented cooperation, particularly in emerging technologies. He noted that India’s human-centric and responsible approach to artificial intelligence closely aligns with Europe’s outlook and expressed confidence that the initiative would spur stronger institutional and industry-level collaboration.
Economic engagement featured prominently in the discussions. Spain is among India’s key trading partners in the European Union, with bilateral trade in goods crossing $8 billion in recent years. Spanish firms have established a strong footprint in India across sectors such as infrastructure, renewable energy, urban mobility, engineering, water management and smart cities, while Indian companies are active in Spain in information technology, pharmaceuticals and automotive components. Both ministers agreed that significant untapped potential remains to deepen trade and investment ties, particularly in technology, defence manufacturing, urban infrastructure and railways.
People-to-people ties were also underscored as a vital pillar of the relationship. Jaishankar pointed to the growing popularity of yoga, ayurveda and Indian culture in Spain, alongside increasing interest in Spanish language and culture in India. Tourism, he said, is emerging as an important and expanding area of cooperation, supported by efforts to promote mobility, educational exchanges and institutional partnerships.
On global and regional issues, the two ministers exchanged views on developments in Europe and the Indo-Pacific. Both strongly condemned terrorism in all its forms and stressed the need for zero tolerance and enhanced international cooperation to combat the threat, noting that both countries have suffered from terrorism.
According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Albares also called on President Droupadi Murmu during his visit and formally handed over Spain’s declaration of accession to the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative, further underlining Madrid’s interest in the region.
The talks reinforced the momentum in India-Spain relations, with defence cooperation – symbolised by the imminent rollout of the first indigenous C-295 aircraft – emerging as one of the most tangible outcomes of the growing partnership.
