Embraer teams with Mahindra for IAF bid and Adani for commercial jets

Brazilian aerospace manufacturer Embraer has structured a dual-track strategy in South Asia by aligning with two distinct corporate heavyweights for its military and commercial ambitions, according to reports from The News Mill and Livemint published in September 2026. The company has selected the Mahindra Group as its exclusive military partner to bid for the Indian Air Force multi-role transport aircraft programme using the KC-390 Millennium jet, while partnering separately with the Adani Group to focus on the civilian and commercial aircraft sector, addressing regional flight demand.

Under the military arrangement, Embraer has chosen the Mahindra Group to pursue the Indian Air Force programme. The tender seeks to acquire transport aircraft to replace the legacy fleet, with provisions allowing for an additional procurement margin. Following a market analysis that included a demonstration flight involving local partners, the manufacturer identified Mahindra as its sole military collaborator for the project. Five corporations—including Mahindra, Tata, Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, Reliance Defence, and Adani—received the Request for Proposal issued by the Defence Ministry.

Although Adani also received the Request for Proposal from the ministry, leadership clarified that Adani's role remains confined strictly to the commercial domain. According to Embraer Defence & Security President and CEO Bosco Da Costa Junior, the civilian partnership with Adani targets growing requirements for regional connectivity and commercial aviation flights. Embraer Defence & Security President and CEO Bosco Da Costa Junior stated in an interview,

"Let me make this point very clear. Again, as I mentioned, we have been following this since the beginning. So, back in 2023, we did a C-390 demo here in India, where we could meet the entire ecosystem, their own ecosystem and potential partners for that. At that time, we did a very deep analysis of the market, and we chose the Mahindra Group to be our partner for MTA. So, on the military side, Mahindra is our partner to pursue this case around the transport aircraft. On the Embraer commercial side, from a civilian perspective, Embraer is exploring another avenue with Adani to address the increased demand around connectivity and regional flights. So, Adani is our partner for the civilian side. This is not going to change."

Bosco Da Costa Junior, Embraer Defence & Security President and CEO, via The News Mill

dismissing speculation that Adani might cross over into the military tender.

The twin-engine KC-390 Millennium platform is being pitched to standardise the medium transport fleet and supersede older aircraft models currently in service. In comparing the KC-390 against competing western hardware, such as the American C-130J offered by a rival consortium, Bosco claimed superior operational performance parameters. He maintained that the platform carries heavier payloads while flying at higher speeds and altitudes, noting strong global metrics including high mission accomplishment rates and successful unpaved desert runway trials conducted with the United Arab Emirates Air Force.

Metric / Parameter	KC-390 Millennium Programme Details
Target Military Tender Size	Transport aircraft requirement with a 50% expansion option
Global Fleet Orders	Approximately units worldwide
Reported Global Availability	global availability rate
Reported Mission Success	global mission accomplishment rate

Beyond local procurement bids, Embraer views the region as a vital pillar for expanding its worldwide supply chain and maintenance, repair, and overhaul network. Executives emphasised that scaling up support infrastructure is necessary to sustain expanding operator networks globally. Bosco stated,

"We would like to use India as a hub for us because, again, we need to expand our supply chain base and our MRO base because we are growing. I can’t support operators worldwide without growing my network from a global perspective. So that’s the reason we are watching this case here as a very strategic one for us."

Bosco Da Costa Junior, Embraer Defence & Security President and CEO, via The News Mill

What happens next depends on the timeline set by defence officials for the transport aircraft evaluation process.