The Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program of the Indian Air Force (IAF) has motivated Embraer to propose bold bids to secure an order for 40 to 80 C-390 Millennium aircraft.
Amid Aero India 2025, the largest aerospace exhibition in the country, the Brazilian manufacturer revealed plans to open a subsidiary in New Delhi in the second quarter.
According to Bosco da Costa Junior, CEO of Embraer Defense & Security, the Indian facilities could become a hub in the region, not only to supply the local air force.
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The Indian government conditions any proposal to an investment for an assembly line in the country, which is why Embraer has entered into a partnership with Mahindra.
According to the chief executive of the company’s defense division, the IAF is expected to issue a request for proposals (RFP) later this year and a winner will be announced in 2026.
However, this forecast may be optimistic. Former Air Chief Marshal VR Chaudhari told Flight Global that the MTA program is not an immediate priority and should emerge later in the decade.
The Indian Air Force currently operates a mix of transport aircraft that includes the rival C-130J, the massive Boeing C-17, new C295 turboprops, but also the An-32 and the four-engine Il-76, both from the Soviet era.
The future aircraft of the MTA program is expected to replace these two models. In addition to Embraer and Lockheed Martin, Airbus is also competing for the order with the larger A400M.
