Embraer deepens commitment to India with new subsidiary

Embraer announced a significant reinforcement of its commitment to India with the establishment of a fully owned Indian subsidiary which will have its corporate office in AeroCity, New Delhi. This strategic move underscores Embraer’s long-term vision for growth and potential collaboration with India’s rapidly evolving aerospace and defense landscape.

The establishment of a subsidiary in India aims at strengthening its interests across defense, commercial aviation, business aviation, services & support and the burgeoning urban air mobility sector. Embraer is working on growing its team in the country, building capacity to capitalize on the opportunities within the country’s ever-evolving aerospace and defense industry. This includes establishing teams across corporate functions and specialized cells focused on procurement, supply chain and engineering. 

Francisco Gomes Neto, President & CEO of Embraer commented: “India is a key market for Embraer, and this expansion demonstrates our unwavering commitment to the country. We are excited to deepen our collaboration with the Indian aerospace and defense industry, leveraging our expertise and technology to contribute to the nation’s growth and Make in India campaign. We see significant opportunities across defense, commercial aviation, business aviation, services & support, and the emerging urban air mobility sector.”

Embraer is significantly deepening its engagement in India. The company has a substantial footprint with nearly 50 Embraer aircraft and 11 aircraft types currently operating in the country - from commercial aviation, defense and business aviation, all supported by Embraer’s service and support network in the country. 

Embraer's growth in the country also underscores the strengthening of ties between Brazil and India, with Embraer’s expansion in the region reflecting a shared commitment to deeper collaboration and mutual growth. Embraer’s involvement in India, including participating at the upcoming IATA AGM 2025 in New Delhi, highlights the company’s strategic focus on the Indian market and ongoing efforts to engage with key stakeholders across the aviation ecosystem.

This announcement builds upon recent strategic moves Embraer has made in India, including an MoU signed in February 2024 between Embraer Defense & Security and Mahindra Defence Systems to evaluate the opportunity to jointly pursue the Indian Air Force’s Medium Transport Aircraft (MTA) program with the C-390 Millennium. 

The C-390 is a new generation multi-mission aircraft designed and built to take on the demands of the 21st century operating environment. The aircraft is the most advanced in its class and flies faster (470kts) and further on a standard crew duty day. It also carries more cargo (26 tons) compared to other medium sized military cargo aircraft. The C-390 has been in operation for many years at Full Operational Capability and can perform a wide range of missions such as transporting and dropping cargo and troops, medical evacuation, search and rescue, humanitarian missions, firefighting and air-to-air refueling both as a tanker and a receiver.

On the commercial aviation front, the E-Jets family of regional and small narrowbody aircraft brings significant benefits to India’s air connectivity by unlocking ‘blue ocean’ opportunities found in tier two and tier three cities and contributing to India's aspirations of becoming a leading global aviation hub. 

The E-Jets have transformed and enhanced regional connectivity as proven with Star Air – an all-Embraer operator of E175 and ERJ145 aircraft. With a range beyond the turboprop and capacity below the 180-seat narrowbody, the E-Jets are empowering airlines to tap on the next frontier of growth through enhanced regional connectivity and optimization of capacity to demand on thin routes. 

Embraer aircraft that are operated by Indian Forces include the Legacy 600 aircraft used for the transportation of government officials and VIPs by the Indian Air Force and Border Security Force and the ‘Netra’ AEW&C aircraft based on the Embraer ERJ145 platform operated by the IAF.