Opposition attacks Vijay's Tamil Nadu government over C-390 aircraft plant location choice
Mahindra Group and Brazilian aerospace major Embraer have identified Nagpur in Maharashtra as the potential site for a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for the C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft in India. The announcement has triggered sharp criticism of the Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) government, with opposition parties accusing it of losing major industrial projects to other states, particularly Andhra Pradesh.
The proposed facility will handle aircraft assembly, systems integration, manufacturing engineering and local supply-chain development. It will proceed only if the C-390 is selected for the Indian Air Force's Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme, which seeks 60 aircraft to replace ageing An-32s and some Il-76s. Neither Embraer nor Mahindra has publicly detailed why Nagpur was preferred over other locations, beyond noting the Maharashtra government's proactive support. Mahindra specifically thanked Maharashtra for expeditiously allotting land and facilitating the project.
The previous DMK government had showcased Sulur and Hosur, which form part of Tamil Nadu's established aerospace and defence manufacturing ecosystem, to Embraer's team. The criticism of the TVK government follows earlier losses, including Royal Enfield's expansion plan valued at over Rs 2,200 crore that went to Tirupati in Andhra Pradesh, and Apollo Tyres' new capacity plans linked to land near Sri City in Andhra Pradesh.
