Adani Defence Partners Leonardo for Helicopter Manufacturing in India
In February 2026, Adani Defence & Aerospace, the defence and aerospace arm of Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Leonardo, an Italian aerospace, defence and security, with an aim to develop a fully integrated helicopter manufacturing ecosystem in India.
Key Details of the MoU:
Key Signatories: The agreement was signed by Ashish Rajvanshi, Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Adani Defence & Aerospace, and Stefano Villanti, Senior Vice President (SVP) – Helicopters, Leonardo, in the presence of Rajesh Kumar Singh, Defence Secretary, and A. Anbarasu, Director General (DG) – Acquisition, Ministry of Defence (MoD).
Role of Entities: The MoU will cover manufacturing and assembly of helicopter platforms in India, Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facilities to support lifecycle services.

• It will also cover pilot training infrastructure to build operational capabilities domestically and phased indigenisation of components and systems over time.

Focus Helicopter Models: The partnership will focus on two helicopter platforms of Leonardo, including AugustaWestland (AW)169M and AW109 TrekkerM.
Alignment: The initiative aligns with the Government of India (GoI)’s vision of “Make in India” and “Aatmanirbhar Bharat”.