Adani and Leonardo Forge Partnership to Transform India's Helicopter Industry

Adani Defence & Aerospace partners with Italian giant Leonardo to create a helicopter manufacturing ecosystem in India. This move strengthens India-Italy defence ties and enhances India's self-reliance in aerospace technology. The collaboration aligns with India's broader industrial policy and aims to boost domestic manufacturing and training capabilities.


Devdiscourse News Desk | Updated: 03-02-2026 13:07 IST | Created: 03-02-2026 13:07 IST
Adani and Leonardo Forge Partnership to Transform India's Helicopter Industry
Officials from Adani Defence & Aerospace and Leonardo during the announcement of their strategic collaboration to build a helicopter manufacturing ecosystem in India, in New Delhi. (Photo/ANI). Image Credit: ANI
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Adani Defence & Aerospace joined forces with Italian aerospace heavyweight Leonardo on Tuesday, unveiling a strategic partnership focused on developing a helicopter manufacturing ecosystem in India. This collaboration is hailed as a significant milestone in the defence cooperation between India and Italy, underscoring the strengthening bilateral relations.

Antonio Enrico Bartoli, Italy's Ambassador to India, highlighted the importance of this partnership in the context of the larger India-Italy relationship, emphasizing both nations' commitment to long-term, reliable defence collaboration. Ashish Rajvanshi, CEO of Adani Defence, announced plans to manufacture helicopters domestically, a move aligned with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 'Aatmnirbhar Bharat' initiative for self-reliance in critical technology sectors.

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh placed the agreement within the framework of India's broader defence and industrial strategies, noting its alignment with recent high-level discussions with EU leaders. The agreement is seen as a testament to India's push to reduce import dependency and build competitive indigenous capabilities in the aerospace sector.

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