Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems Limited have inaugurated a final assembly line for the H125 helicopter in Karnataka, India.
The ceremony marks the establishment of the South Asian country’s first privately-operated facility for the rotary-wing aircraft, further strengthening New Delhi’s broader strategy to grow its local industrial base.
Works at the plant, located at Vemagal near Bengaluru, will center on the civil H125 variant and eventually the H125M tactical configuration, with services covering integration, testing, parts manufacturing, and sustainment.
The hub is expected to produce the first batch of helicopters in early 2027.
Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chairman of Tata Sons, called the facility “a landmark step in the nation’s journey towards self-reliance in aerospace and defence.”
“This facility reflects the growing depth of India’s industrial capabilities and the strength of our long-standing partnership with Airbus,” he said.
Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters, added that the factory strengthens India’s “civil and defence sovereignty when it comes to vertical lift capabilities.”
“By establishing this facility with the Tata Group, Airbus is offering the Indian market a versatile and competitive platform with unrivaled performance that is ‘Made in India,’” he said.
The Airbus H125
The H125 is a 13-meter (43-foot) helicopter with a rotor diameter of 11 meters (36 feet) that is deployed internationally for security, humanitarian and disaster response, medical evacuation, and transport.
Its military variant, planned for adoption by the Indian Armed Forces, is designed for high-altitude flights that match the service’s operations across the northern Himalayan border.
The aircraft is fitted with a 952-horsepower Safran Helicopter Engines Arriel 2D engine that supports a service ceiling of 7,010 meters (22,999 feet), speeds up to 252 kilometers (157 miles) per hour, and a range of 630 kilometers (391 miles).
It has a maximum endurance of more than four hours, can carry up to six passengers, has a tank capacity of 435 kilograms (959 pounds), and a payload capacity of 1,075 kilograms (2,370 pounds).
