In a first, Tata to build military aircraft in India as it acquires IP rights
In a first for the industry, the Tata Group will develop and manufacture a military aircraft in India, having acquired intellectual property rights for a German-origin platform. The plan, ET has reliably learnt, is to integrate indigenous sensors and payloads to convert it into an intelligence gathering asset.
The high-altitude, twin-engine aircraft, capable of playing multiple roles from signal intelligence to cross-border surveillance, is currently in the final stages of testing in Germany. It is likely to arrive in India in the next three months for further integration.
This would be the first time that an Indian private entity is looking at making a full military-grade aircraft, which until now has been the domain of the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics NSE 1.06 % (HAL).
