The offer comes as the Indian Air Force advances plans to replace its ageing fleet of Soviet-origin AN-32 transport aircraft, one of the most important tactical airlift platforms in service. Embraer Defence & Security Chief Marketing Officer Marcio Monteiro said the company is prepared to transfer substantial manufacturing capability to India as part of its proposal.
“We are willing to transfer everything, as much as possible,” Monteiro told FlightGlobal. He added that the company is also engaging with its supply chain partners to determine how much manufacturing activity can be relocated to India based on the scale of the potential order.
To strengthen its bid, Embraer has partnered with Mahindra and is preparing extensively for the competition. Embraer Chief Executive Francisco Gomes Neto said the company is working closely with Mahindra to ensure readiness for the programme.
According to Monteiro, the proposed Indian facility would at least replicate Embraer’s production complex in Gavião Peixoto, Brazil, where structural assembly and final assembly of the C-390 are currently conducted. Depending on localisation requirements established by the Indian government, Embraer could also set up facilities to manufacture major structural components in India, significantly increasing indigenous production content.
The company has further indicated that an Indian assembly line could eventually manufacture aircraft for export markets, integrating Indian industry into the global C-390 supply chain and positioning the country as a regional production hub. The proposal closely aligns with the government’s domestic manufacturing and defence self-reliance objectives, which emphasise technology transfer, local production and export-oriented growth.
The C-390 Millennium is among the leading contenders in the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft competition, which aims to replace the AN-32 fleet that has formed the backbone of India’s tactical airlift capability for decades.
Competing aircraft are understood to include the Lockheed Martin C-130J Super Hercules and the Airbus A400M Atlas. The programme is expected to become one of the most significant air mobility acquisitions undertaken by the Indian Air Force in the coming years, with the selected aircraft likely to remain operational for several decades.
Embraer believes the C-390 offers a combination of speed, payload capacity and operational flexibility that makes it particularly suitable for India’s diverse military and geographical requirements. Powered by jet engines, the aircraft can cruise at approximately 870 kilometres per hour, making it substantially faster than both the AN-32 and the C-130J.
The higher speed could enable the Indian Air Force to transport troops, military equipment and humanitarian assistance more rapidly across the country, particularly during emergencies, disaster relief operations and military contingencies.
India’s air mobility requirements extend across a broad range of environments, including high-altitude regions in Ladakh and Arunachal Pradesh, island territories in the Andaman and Nicobar chain, and desert sectors along the western frontier. According to Embraer, the C-390 is capable of operating from semi-prepared, damaged and soft-field runways.
The aircraft is equipped with reinforced landing gear and low-pressure tyres designed for operations away from conventional airbases. This capability could enable operations from advanced landing grounds in the Northeast, forward locations in Ladakh and remote island airstrips across the Indian Ocean region.
The ability to rapidly reinforce the Andaman and Nicobar Islands is becoming increasingly important as India expands its strategic focus across the Indo-Pacific region.
In comparison with rival aircraft, the Airbus A400M offers a substantially larger payload capacity of around 37 tonnes and stronger strategic airlift capabilities. However, it is also significantly larger and more expensive to acquire and operate. The C-130J, meanwhile, has an established operational record with the Indian Air Force and is widely regarded as one of the most capable tactical transport aircraft currently in service.
Embraer is positioning the C-390 between these two competitors, offering greater speed and payload capacity than the C-130J while avoiding the higher acquisition and operational costs associated with the larger A400M. The company believes this balance could make the aircraft a strong contender for India’s medium transport aircraft requirement.
The proposal represents a potentially significant opportunity for India’s aerospace and defence manufacturing sectors. If selected, the programme could not only modernise the Indian Air Force’s transport fleet but also deepen domestic aircraft manufacturing capabilities, strengthen technology transfer and integrate Indian industry into a major global military aviation production network.
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