Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer has partnered with the Mahindra Group for the Indian Air Force’s (IAF) Multi-Role Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme, which seeks to procure 60 transport aircraft to begin replacing the IAF’s ageing transport fleet.
Embraer is offering its KC-390 Millennium for the programme. The procurement also includes an option to increase the initial requirement by another 50 per cent. The twin-engine KC-390 is currently operated by Brazil, Portugal and other air forces.
Mahindra will be Embraer’s partner for the military transport aircraft programme in India. Separately, Embraer is working with the Adani Group on its civilian aircraft business in India, focusing on regional connectivity and commercial aviation requirements.
Embraer had demonstrated the C-390 in India in 2023 and subsequently evaluated potential Indian partners for the MTA programme before selecting Mahindra.
The KC-390 is being positioned for the IAF’s medium transport requirements, including the replacement of ageing aircraft such as the Antonov An-32. Five Indian companies, including Mahindra, Tata, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Reliance Defence and Adani, have received the Request for Proposal (RFP) from the Ministry of Defence for the programme.
The KC-390 will compete with other transport aircraft, including the C-130J offered by the Tata-Lockheed Martin partnership. Embraer has reported 93 per cent fleet availability and 99 per cent mission accomplishment for the KC-390 globally. The aircraft has also undergone operations from unpaved desert runways during trials with the UAE Air Force.
Embraer has a global order book of around 70 KC-390 aircraft, including 10 aircraft ordered by the UAE and two additional aircraft ordered by Colombia.
The company is also evaluating India as a potential base for expanding its global aircraft supply chain and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) network as the international KC-390 fleet expands.