‘See huge blue ocean opportunity in India for regional jets, perfect fit between turboprops, larger planes’: Embraer's Raul Villaron

Hitherto a small player in India’s aviation landscape, Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer has its sights set on India as its next growth market—for commercial as well as defence aircraft.

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The company is already in the running for the Indian Air Force's (IAF) medium transport aircraft procurement project, and is also pitching its portfolio of regional commercial jets—a segment yet to take off in India—to fast-expanding Indian airlines. As part of the effort to capitalise on the opportunity, Embraer recently announced an India-focussed subsidiary. In a freewheeling interaction with Sukalp Sharma, Embraer's President and Group CEO Francisco Gomes Neto and Embraer Commercial Aviation’s Head of Asia-Pacific Raul Villaron discuss the company’s India ambitions and vision, including the possibility of local manufacturing. Edited excerpts:

The Embraer C390 is seen as a frontrunner for the IAF's medium transport aircraft procurement project. How confident are you about winning the contract? How does the C390 stack up against competing aircraft like Lockheed Martin C130?Neto: We are convinced that the C390 is the best solution for the Indian Air Force. If you look at the last orders we got for C390—Portugal, Hungary, the Netherlands, Austria—most of them replaced the C130 with the C390 because our aircraft is more modem, faster, and carries more load. It’s multi-mission by design, it is more flexible. With the C390, you can perform the same missions with less aircraft.At what stage are your conversations with the IAF and the government? When do you expect a decision?Neto: | think we're moving well. They are learning more and more about the features of our aircraft, and we believe we have a good chance, although nothing is decided...We expect a decision in a couple of years. But this is not in our hands. This is more in the hands of the Indian Air Force.

If you get the IAF contract, you will be setting up an FAL (final assembly line) to build the aircraft in India. Are you also open to having an FAL here for your commercial jets as well?