Prime Minister Narendra Modi said India and Spain will celebrate the upcoming year, 2026, as the Year of Culture, Tourism, and AI between the two countries. He took pride in this decision, terming the people-to-people relationship between both countries very strong.
PM Modi, during his address, talked about how food, films, and football have furthered relations between India and Spain. He added, “Our strong people-to-people connection has always enriched our relationship.” He spoke of the cultural relations and remembered Father Carlos Valle, who came from Spain and spent fifty years in Gujarat. Father Valle enriched the local culture with his thoughts and writings. PM Modi mentioned he had the privilege of meeting him, Father Valle, who was awarded Padma Shri for his services.
He showed confidence that this would inspire more such projects by the two countries in collaboration with each other in days to come. He called on the captains of the industry and innovators in Spain to come to India and be partners in the growth journey of the country. Partnership call manifests India’s openness to international collaboration.
Among others, the Governor of Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat; Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel; and Union Ministers Rajnath Singh and S. Jaishankar were also present at the function, which underlined the importance of this initiative.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi and Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez had jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex. It manufactures C-295 aircraft, located in Vadodara at the TATA Advanced Systems Limited campus. Under the C-295 program, the delivery of 56 aircraft is planned.
Of these, Airbus in Spain will provide 16, while Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. will manufacture the remaining 40. This approach not only strengthens local production but also enhances India’s defense capabilities. Consequently, this collaboration marks a significant step forward for the aerospace industry. This would establish the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India. It shall cover the entire life cycle of the aircraft manufacturing, assembly, flight testing, and qualification to delivery and maintenance.
It will also involve the leading defense public sector units like Bharat Electronics Ltd and Bharat Dynamics Ltd. Among a host of private Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises. In October 2022, PM Modi laid the foundation stone for the Vadodara FAL to mark the beginning of this ambitious project. Additionally, it is evidence of the commitment by India and Spain to move forward in the fields of technology and defense.
ANI
