Airbus, the European aerospace giant, in partnership with Tata Advanced Systems. (TASL), will establish India’s first privately-led helicopter assembly line in Kolar, Karnataka. This collaboration aligns with the government’s "Make in India" initiative, aimed at bolstering indigenous manufacturing in the aerospace sector.

The facility will focus on assembling Airbus' civil H125 helicopters, one of its bestselling models, primarily for the Indian market and neighboring countries. Set to be located in the Vemgal Industrial Area—already home to other TASL operations like satellite manufacturing, the plant will initially have the capacity to produce 10 helicopters annually. However, the facility is designed with scalability in mind, with Airbus projecting a regional demand of 500 light helicopters over the next two decades.

Once operational, the Kolar plant will become only the fourth such Airbus helicopter assembly line globally, joining existing ones in France, the US, and Brazil.