By A Correspondent

New Delhi: In a major boost to India’s Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) and Make in India initiatives, Embraer Defense & Security of Brazil and India’s Mahindra Group have signed a Strategic Cooperation Agreement (SCA) to advance the C-390 Millennium for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme.

The landmark agreement was announced on Oct. 17, 2025, alongside the inauguration of Embraer’s new national office at Aerocity, further underscoring the company’s long-term commitment to India’s defence and aerospace ecosystem.

The new SCA expands upon the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed between Embraer and Mahindra in February 2024 at the Embassy of Brazil in New Delhi.

It aims to deepen collaboration across key areas, including joint marketing, localisation, industrialisation, and developing India as a regional hub for the C-390 Millennium.

Under the agreement, Embraer and Mahindra will work closely with India’s defence stakeholders to identify opportunities for local manufacturing, assembly, maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO), and supply chain integration.

The long-term vision is to establish India as a manufacturing and support base for the C-390 Millennium, catering not just to Indian requirements but also to other regional markets.

“The agreement is a significant milestone in our relationship with the Mahindra Group. India’s aerospace industry is dynamic and world-class, and together we aim to deliver the most advanced and reliable military transport solution to the Indian Air Force,” Embraer Defense & Security president and CEO Bosco da Costa Junior said on the occasion.

“This partnership is more than an aerospace deal. It reflects our commitment to Atmanirbhar Bharat and the growing friendship between Brazil and India,” he said, highlighting the significance of the agreement.

“The C-390 Millennium is unmatched in capability, efficiency, and versatility. By deepening our collaboration with Embraer, we will ensure that the C-390 Millennium for the IAF’s MTA campaign not only strengthens India’s defence capability but also advances the Make in India philosophy,” Mahindra Group executive board member Vinod Sahay said.

“The C-390 Millennium is widely recognised as the most modern military transport aircraft in its class. With a payload capacity of 26 tons, a maximum speed of 470 knots, and exceptional versatility, it can perform multiple missions, including cargo and troop transport, medical evacuation, firefighting, search and rescue, and humanitarian relief,” Embraer and Mahindra said in the announcement.

Already selected by air forces in Brazil, Portugal, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria, South Korea, the Czech Republic, Sweden, Slovakia, Lithuania, and another undisclosed customer, the C-390 Millennium has a mission completion rate exceeding 99%, underscoring its proven reliability and performance, it added.

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