Brazilian aerospace major Embraer has confirmed Mahindra Group as its Indian partner for the Indian Air Force’s 60-aircraft Medium Transport Aircraft programme, drawing a clear line between its military and civilian partnerships in India. While Mahindra will spearhead Embraer’s bid with the C-390 Millennium military transport jet, the company will work separately with the Adani Group to pursue opportunities in commercial aircraft manufacturing and regional aviation.
Embraer Defence & Security president and CEO Bosco da Costa Junior said the company had evaluated potential partners after demonstrating the C-390 in India in 2023 and ultimately selected Mahindra for the military programme. His clarification assumes significance because Adani is among the Indian companies that received the Defence Ministry’s Request for Proposal for the IAF transport aircraft acquisition.
Mahindra locked in for military bid
Da Costa Junior said Embraer’s arrangement with Mahindra for the military programme would not change, even though other Indian companies eligible for the tender could pursue partnerships with competing foreign aircraft manufacturers. Embraer and Mahindra have been working together on the C-390 programme since signing an initial agreement in 2024, with their collaboration subsequently expanded to cover manufacturing, assembly, supply-chain development and maintenance in India.
The two companies have also proposed establishing maintenance, repair and overhaul capabilities in India if the C-390 is selected by the IAF. Their broader ambition is to make India a manufacturing and support hub for the aircraft, potentially serving customers beyond the domestic market.
The IAF programme seeks 60 medium transport aircraft, with an option for additional aircraft later. Under the procurement structure, 12 aircraft are expected to be acquired in flyaway condition while the remaining 48 would be manufactured in India, making localisation and technology transfer important elements of the competition.
C-390 takes on established rivals
Embraer is offering its twin-engine C-390 Millennium, which can carry payloads of up to 26 tonnes and perform missions ranging from troop and cargo transport to medical evacuation, aerial refuelling and humanitarian operations. The company is positioning the jet as a replacement for ageing aircraft in the IAF’s medium transport fleet.
The programme is expected to see the C-390 compete against platforms including Lockheed Martin’s C-130J Super Hercules and Airbus’s larger A400M. The IAF already operates the C-130J, giving the American aircraft an established operational and support footprint in India.
Embraer, however, is pitching the C-390’s higher speed and payload capability along with its availability rates and potential for extensive Indian manufacturing. Da Costa Junior said the aircraft had demonstrated its ability to operate from unpaved surfaces and argued that its performance made it well suited to the IAF requirement.
The C-390 is already in service with Brazil, Portugal and other operators, while Embraer has continued to add international customers. The Brazilian manufacturer sees a potential Indian order as particularly important because of both its size and the opportunity to expand its global production and support network.
Adani partnership stays civilian
Embraer’s relationship with Adani will meanwhile focus on the civilian side of aviation. The two companies announced a strategic partnership in January to explore the development, manufacturing and sustainment of a regional transport aircraft ecosystem in India.
The partnership covers potential aircraft manufacturing, supply-chain development, aftermarket services and pilot training. It also envisages the possibility of establishing an aircraft assembly line in India, followed by progressively higher levels of localisation.
The civilian initiative is aimed partly at growing demand for regional connectivity as India expands air links between smaller cities. Embraer is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of regional commercial jets, with its E-Jet family occupying the market below larger narrow-body aircraft such as the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families.
Da Costa Junior stressed that the two Indian partnerships serve separate purposes — Mahindra for the IAF military transport competition and Adani for commercial aviation opportunities. Embraer has therefore ruled out replacing Mahindra with Adani for its C-390 bid.
India could become global hub
Beyond the immediate IAF competition, Embraer is looking at India as a potential manufacturing, maintenance and supply-chain hub as its international order book expands. The company has indicated that increasing global demand will require additional production and support capacity outside its existing facilities.
India’s aerospace manufacturing ecosystem and large domestic aviation market make it central to that strategy. Nearly 50 Embraer aircraft across commercial, defence and business aviation are already operating in the country, including the ERJ145-based Netra airborne early warning aircraft used by the IAF.
For Embraer, winning the 60-aircraft IAF competition would therefore represent more than a major defence order. It could establish the foundation for C-390 manufacturing and maintenance in India, while the parallel Adani partnership seeks to build a separate foothold in the country’s rapidly expanding civilian aviation market.