MUMBAI: Spanish President Pedro Sanchez, along with his wife Begona Gomez, participated in Diwali celebrations in Mumbai on Monday night.
During the festivities, the Spanish President and his wife lit diyas and set off some pencil crackers to celebrate the festival. They also tried their hands on delicious Indian sweets, including laddoos.
Sanchez, who arrived in India in the early hours of Monday, is on a three-day visit to India. He is scheduled to attend a programme in Mumbai today and depart for Spain tomorrow.
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Sanchez jointly inaugurated the TATA Aircraft Complex for manufacturing C-295 aircraft at the TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) Campus in Vadodara, Gujarat.
PM Modi stated that the Tata Aircraft Complex would strengthen India-Spain relations and support the ‘Make in India, Make for the World’ initiative. He remarked that the late Ratan Tata would have been pleased with the inauguration of the complex.
He added that the C-295 aircraft factory reflects the new work culture of New India, highlighting its potential to export aircraft globally, similar to how metro coaches manufactured in Vadodara are being exported to other countries.
Under the C-295 programme, a total of 56 aircraft are planned, with 16 being delivered directly by Airbus from Spain, while the remaining 40 will be produced in India. Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. is responsible for manufacturing these 40 aircraft. This facility will be the first private sector Final Assembly Line (FAL) for military aircraft in India.
Prime Minister Modi and President Sanchez also witnessed cultural performances and greeted people during their roadshow in Vadodara.
During their bilateral talks at the Laxmi Vilas Palace in Vadodara, the two leaders discussed various topics, including trade, defense, and technology collaboration. They shared lunch at the palace, which was constructed in the late 19th century by Maharaja Sayajirao Gaekwad III, the former ruler of Baroda. (ANI)