Kamal Ghorui
Indigenous aircraft making will be a gamechanger. Invest in R&D now and learn by doing
India really needs more airplanes, for both regular travel and for the military. In the defence area, India has fewer fighter planes than it should, which is worrying. Because of this, the government is likely to approve buying 114 Rafale fighter jets from France before the French President, Emmanuel Macron, visits India. But this deal may not be simple.
A US company has bought a French firm that supplies parts for the Rafale jet. Because of this, the Rafale planes could now come under American rules for selling weapons. This means India might need special permission from the US to buy some Rafale planes.
There is another big issue. Over the next 10 years, India has ordered more than 2,000 civilian airplanes, but all of them will be bought from other countries. This shows why India should build its own airplanes.
The government plans to spend ₹12,511 crore to create a special company to develop a small passenger aircraft. Most of this money will be used for testing, safety checks, and building facilities. Safety certification is very difficult and expensive. For example, China’s C919 passenger plane started flying in 2023, but it still does not have safety approval from Europe or the US. Because of this, many airlines cannot use it.
The biggest problem for India is building a full airplane-making system. This needs thousands of expert suppliers for parts like electronics, wheels, and landing gear. Engines are another big challenge—even China still uses foreign engines.
Still, India has to begin somewhere. Learning by doing is the best way forward. A recent agreement between the Adani Group and Brazil’s Embraer to build regional planes in India is a good step. Making civilian airplanes will also help the military. With strong government support and more spending on research, India may finally learn how to build its own aircraft engines in the future.
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