Adani Group makes early moves in aircraft manufacturing

Indian conglomerate Adani Group’s defense arm, Adani Defence and Aerospace, signed an agreement with Brazil-based aircraft manufacturer Embraer to explore building a regional transport aircraft manufacturing ecosystem in India — a move aimed at positioning India as a manufacturing base for aircrafts amid global delivery bottlenecks, according to a company statement.

The details: The proposed collaboration follows a phased approach, beginning with aircraft assembly in India and moving toward localized manufacturing of components and systems.

Why it matters: This partnership is geared towards enhancing India’s domestic supply chain. As Airbus and Boeing delivery slots stretch years out, smaller aircraft manufacturers such as Embraer could emerge as faster options for airlines, including Gulf carriers feeding traffic into Middle East hubs. A local assembly base would strengthen India’s leverage in a tight global aircraft market and deepen its role in the Asia-Middle East aircraft supply chain.

IN CONTEXT- Adani Defence and Aerospace has been expanding across aviation infrastructure, defense manufacturing, and pilot training with the Embraer agreement marking its first move into commercial aircraft manufacturing.

South Africa weighs higher tariffs on Indian vehicle imports

South Africa is considering raising import duties on fully built passenger vehicles from India and China to 50% from the current 25% Bloomberg reports. The move could affect Indian automakers including Mahindra and Mahindra, Tata Motors, and Maruti Suzuki India, which export India-built vehicles across Africa and Middle East markets.

The proposal is part of an internal review by South Africa’s Trade, Industry, and Competition Department aiming to protect the country’s domestic auto industry. Vehicles manufactured in India accounted for nearly 38% of passenger cars sold in South Africa in the early months of 2025.

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