Summary
Mahindra and Embraer have identified Nagpur as the proposed site for a C-390 Millennium final assembly facility in India. The plan depends on the aircraft being selected for the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft programme and an order being placed.
Mahindra Group and Embraer have identified Nagpur as the proposed location for a final assembly line for the C-390 Millennium military transport aircraft. The companies say they are preparing for local manufacturing and support in India while pursuing the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) programme. The facility would proceed only if the C-390 is selected and an order is placed.
The companies are working with the Maharashtra government on the processes needed to advance the industrial infrastructure if the programme is awarded to their partnership. The announcement identifies a potential site and describes preparation; it is not a confirmation that an assembly line is being built.
What the proposed facility would do
The planned Nagpur facility is intended to support aircraft assembly and industrialisation in India. Mahindra and Embraer say its proposed activities include system integration, manufacturing engineering and developing a local supply chain. If the programme goes ahead, they intend to bring Indian aerospace companies into the C-390 ecosystem progressively, with roles in manufacturing, aftermarket services, training and lifecycle support.
A final assembly line would make Nagpur the proposed location for assembling the aircraft in India. The wider plan described by the companies also covers engineering and support capabilities, rather than assembly alone. The extent and timing of those activities would depend on the programme award and subsequent preparations.
The C-390 is a multi-mission military transport aircraft. The companies describe it as capable of troop and cargo transport, airdrop operations, medical evacuation, search and rescue, firefighting and humanitarian missions. Its stated payload capacity is up to 26 tonnes, and it is designed to operate from temporary or unpaved runways.
A conditional step in a longer partnership
Mahindra and Embraer signed a memorandum of understanding in February 2024, followed by a Strategic Cooperation Agreement in October 2025. That agreement envisages work on industrialisation, local manufacturing and assembly, supply-chain development and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activities in India. In February 2026, the companies also announced plans to work towards an Indian MRO capability, likewise conditional on the aircraft’s selection.
The Nagpur proposal adds a potential location to those preparations. The companies say they will continue engaging with the Indian government, Maharashtra and India’s aerospace sector as they develop the programme. Their stated aim is to combine Embraer’s aircraft engineering and manufacturing experience with Mahindra’s manufacturing capabilities and Indian industrial network.
For India, the proposed work could bring aircraft assembly and related engineering and support activities into the domestic aerospace ecosystem. That is a planned outcome, not a capability established by the site announcement itself: the procurement decision, an order and the required approvals and agreements remain decisive steps.