Mahindra Joins Rotor Chain as Tata-Airbus Readies H125 FAL

Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) are establishing a final assembly line (FAL) for the H125 helicopter in Vemagal near Bengaluru. The move is part of a broader “Made in India” push that includes Airbus recently awarding Mahindra Aerostructures an H125 fuselage manufacturing contract.

The FAL will be ready by March 2026, with assembly starting within the following three months. Fuselages will be shipped from Mahindra’s Bengaluru facility to the Airbus Helicopters Donauwörth plant in Germany to be equipped, then sent back to TASL for final assembly. The first “Made in India” H125 is expected by early 2027, making TASL India’s first private-sector helicopter manufacturer.

Production plans call for 52 H125 helicopters to be assembled at the Vemagal FAL, with Airbus holding global orders for 40, and the remaining 12 to be sold directly by the Tata subsidiary. “This will bolster both civil and defense requirements,” said TASL CEO and managing director Sukaran Singh.  

India’s untapped potential in law enforcement, rescue, and emergency services makes it “an ideal helicopter country. A ‘Made in India’ helicopter will help develop this market,” added Jürgen Westermeier, president and managing director for Airbus India.

Mahindra, a preferred supplier to Airbus for components and subassemblies, was also given a contract for the H130 fuselage in April. Together, “the H125 and H130 contracts mark a strategic leap in India’s aerospace ambitions,” Airbus said.