Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday linked the global recognition earned by Indian pilot Captain Smit Machchhar after the Flydubai cockpit attack to a larger ambition for India – a day when the world
will not just talk about Indian pilots, but also about aircraft made in India.
“Today the entire world is talking about the Indian pilot. There will be a day when the entire world will talk about the Made in India planes,” PM Modi said, referring to Machchhar’s bravery while speaking about India’s journey towards self-reliance as he completed 25 years in service.
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The remarks came days after Captain Machchhar, the commander of Flydubai flight FZ1073 from Dubai to Tel Aviv, was seriously injured after being attacked by his co-pilot inside the cockpit on September 30. The aircraft, carrying 174 passengers, including 27 children, was forced to make an emergency landing in Saudi Arabia’s Tabuk. Despite suffering serious injuries, Machchhar managed to get the cockpit door open, allowing passengers to intervene and helping prevent what could have been a catastrophic crash.
PM Modi had earlier called Machchhar a hero and said his courage and quick thinking had prevented a potential tragedy on the scale of 9/11. “His bravery and presence of mind have saved hundreds of lives,” Modi had said.
During his subsequent conversation with Machchhar from his hospital bed, Modi again praised the pilot, telling him that Indians are “not those who take lives, but those who are willing to risk their own lives to save others.” He also said Machchhar had enhanced the prestige of the Indian pilot community.
The pilot told PM Modi that his 17 years of flying experience, including 11 years as a captain, helped him understand the gravity of the situation and react immediately.
PM Modi’s “Made in India plane” remark also fits into a broader push to build an indigenous aerospace manufacturing ecosystem. India has already taken a significant step in military aviation through the Tata-Airbus C295 programme. A final assembly line was inaugurated in Vadodara in 2024, becoming the country’s first private-sector aircraft final assembly facility. Of the 56 C295 aircraft ordered for the Indian Air Force, 40 are to be manufactured and assembled in India, with deliveries planned through 2031.
The programme goes beyond assembly: more than 13,000 parts are to be manufactured in India, with Indian suppliers forming part of the aircraft’s production ecosystem. Airbus says the first C295 to be made in India is scheduled to roll out from Vadodara in September 2026.
For PM Modi, therefore, Machchhar’s story represents one side of India’s aviation ambition: Indian talent earning global admiration. The next challenge is to ensure the machines they fly can carry the same “Made in India” stamp.
