Brazilian plane maker Embraer is open to industrial cooperation and technology transfer with Indian companies, its president & chief executive officer Francisco Gomes Neto said on Monday.
Currently, 40 Embraer-built civil and defence aircraft are in India, and the plane maker looks to grow its fleet as India and Brazil strengthen their ties.
“As relevant countries in the Global South, Brazil and India have similar challenges for their economic development, so strengthening the relationship between them will benefit the populations of both nations. For Embraer, India is a strategic market, both in commercial aviation and defense, and we are open to industrial cooperation and technology transfer with local companies.,” said Francisco Gomes Neto, President and CEO of Embraer
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva discussed cooperation in biofuels, defence, and aerospace sectors in a bilateral meeting earlier this month on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting in Brazil. President Lula has also expressed his desire to visit India in 2025 with a government and business delegation. Embraer said it welcomes the opportunity to join the Brazilian president’s delegation to India as it represents an opportunity to advance aerospace and defence collaboration.
On the civilian side, regional airline Star Air operates 9 Embraer aircraft and has announced plans to grow its fleet to 25 in three years.
Embraer is also pitching its C-390 Millennium military multi-mission transport aircraft to the Indian Air Force.
In February, the plane maker signed an MoU with Mahindra Defence Systems to bid on IAF’s medium transport aircraft procurement project.
In recent weeks, Embraer has bagged contracts from Austria, the Netherlands, and Sweden to supply the C-390 millennium aircraft.
“The C-390’s operator base is expanding globally and the aircraft has demonstrated its interoperability and outstanding qualities in various worldwide missions,” the plane maker added.