Lockheed Martin Lauds India as C-130J Wing Hits 96% Local Build

In a strong endorsement of India's emergent power in the aerospace and defence manufacturing sectors, Major Partha P Roy Chowdhury, Commercial Lead for Japan, India, and Bangladesh at Lockheed Martin, told an audience of industry leaders in Chennai recently that India now produces 96 per cent of the C-130J aircraft wing. Chowdhury emphasized the importance of southern India to Lockheed Martin's global operations.

“We have over 115,000 employees globally, including more than 85,000 engineers, operating across 33 countries,” he noted. “Yet, what you see in the North is enabled by what’s being built in the South.” Chowdhury noted that over 90 per cent of Lockheed Martin’s Indian suppliers were in local southern states, and mentioned the good MSMEs in southern states for quality, precision, and global competitiveness. “The infrastructure and ecosystem in the South are not just on par with global standards - they often surpass them,” he added.

He referred to the Hyderabad manufacturing facility, which is a joint venture with Tata as a flagship initiative. Chowdhury said that “the cabin of the helicopter that transports US President Donald Trump is manufactured right here by Indian engineers in Andhra Pradesh.” He also noted that major platforms, including the F-16, C-130J Aircraft Wing, and MQ-9 Reaper are being produced in India, including parts such as wings, empennages, missile cables and antennas.

Reflecting on the growing level of indigenisation, Chowdhury stated, “When we began manufacturing in India, the Indian content was only 30 percent. Today, it’s 96 per cent.” The other 4 percent, he noted, were constrained by IP of a US company. He urged for more R&D to assist India in getting over such dependencies and getting to sovereign capability.