Airbus, the prominent player in the French aerospace sector, is considering the addition of 2000 engineers from India to its workforce as it endeavors to fulfill its commitment to deliver the first C295 aircraft to the Indian Air Force in September. Rémi Maillard, President of Airbus India and Managing Director of South Asia, addressed the press in New Delhi, revealing that the inaugural "Make-In-India" C295 Military Aircraft is scheduled for delivery in September 2026.

Maillard stated, "We have entered into a contract for 56 C295 aircraft with the Indian Air Force, with 40 of them to be completely manufactured, assembled, and maintained in India." He further noted that the remaining 16 aircraft will arrive in a ready-to-fly condition from Spain. He added, "The first C295 aircraft will be handed over to the Indian Air Force this very month, while the first domestically produced C295 will be delivered in September 2026."

Maillard's visit to the national capital coincided with a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony between Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV) in Vadodara and Airbus. Emphasising the significance of this agreement, Railways Minister Ashwini Vaishnaw remarked that it will facilitate the training of aerospace engineers with specialised skills who can be promptly recruited.

When asked about Airbus's intentions to hire more Indian professionals, Rémi responded, "At present, we employ over 3000 engineers in our design centers. By 2025, our workforce is expected to exceed 5000 engineers."

Vaishnaw, speaking at the event, highlighted India's growing reputation as a reliable and dependable global partner and identified sectors such as aviation, transportation, semiconductors, electronics, and pharmaceuticals, which regard India as a pivotal link in their value chains. He announced ongoing negotiations with companies like Alstom, Deutsche Bahn, and Siemens, as well as exploring collaboration opportunities in transportation areas such as railways, maritime, trucking, and warehousing. He underlined that the Airbus agreement underscores the establishment of an institutional framework to harness talent for the transportation sector within the country, sending a message to other industries about the available opportunities for collaboration.