It’s Thursday, January 22, 2026, and if you’ve been tracking India’s push into high-tech manufacturing, yesterday was a major “receipts” day. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with his Spanish counterpart, and the headline wasn’t just about diplomacy—it was about metal hitting the tarmac.
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The thing is, we’ve finally got a timeline. The first “Made in India” C-295 military transport aircraft is rolling out of the Vadodara factory before September this year.1 It’s an ongoing situation where India is finally breaking the monopoly on military aircraft production. Or nothing.
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The India-Spain “Strategic” Field Notes
It’s a massive deal because for the longest time, if you wanted a military plane made in India, you had to go to a PSU.2 Now, the private sector (Airbus and Tata) is actually delivering the goods. Here’s the ground reality from the Jaishankar-Albares meeting:
The Vadodara Milestone: The final assembly line in Gujarat was inaugurated back in October 2024.3 Now, the first of the 40 India-made units (out of a 56-plane deal) is almost ready. Let’s be real—this replaces the ancient Avro-748 fleet that’s been flying since your grandfather was in school.4 Those too.
The “Dual Year” Reveal: 2026 isn’t just a regular year; it’s the 70th anniversary of India-Spain ties.5 They just unveiled a special logo to mark it as the “Dual Year of Culture, Tourism, and Artificial Intelligence.”6 The thing is, they’re trying to move the relationship beyond just buying planes and into tech.7
AI Impact Summit: Jaishankar confirmed India is hosting a massive AI Impact Summit in New Delhi next month (Feb 16-20).8 And here’s the kicker—it’s at Bharat Mandapam, focusing on “Human-Centric AI.” Basically, they want to set the rules for the Global South before the Silicon Valley giants do it for them.9
Zero Tolerance: On the security front, the tone was sharp. Jaishankar pushed for “zero tolerance” on terrorism, a shared pain point for both Madrid and Delhi.10 It’s an ongoing situation where the “Greenland Framework” and European trade are keeping everyone on edge, but India is doubling down on its own resilient supply chains. Or nothing.
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C-295 Deal & Partnership Matrix
| Category | Details | The “Ground” Reality |
| Total Deal Value | ₹21,935 Crore | Covers 56 aircraft for the IAF. |
| Manufacturing Split | 16 (Spain) / 40 (India) | 6 Spanish-built units are already in India. |
| “Made in India” Date | Before Sept 2026 | The first locally assembled unit rolls out this year. |
| Bilateral Trade | $8 Billion+ | Spain is now a top-tier EU partner for India. |
| New Initiative11 | IPOI Accession12 | Spain just officially joined India’s Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative.13 |
And Here’s the Kicker…
The thing is, Spain isn’t just building planes. They’re deep into our infrastructure, from urban mobility to water management.14 Let’s be real—Spain is becoming the “quiet” partner that provides the engineering backbone while the bigger EU powers grab the headlines. Those too.
One side comment—the new Dual Year logo was chosen from 1,900 entries.15 It’s a small detail, but it shows how much they’re trying to involve regular people in this “high-level” diplomacy. It’s an ongoing situation where 2026 is looking like the year the India-Spain friendship actually becomes a “Strategic Partnership.” Or nothing.
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End…
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