In a major boost to India’s aerospace ambitions, Reliance Infrastructure announced on Wednesday that French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation will begin assembling its Falcon 2000 business jets in India. This will be the first time Dassault manufactures any of its Falcon aircraft outside France. With this development, India joins an elite group of nations including the United States, France, Canada and Brazil that produce business jets for global markets.
The announcement was made at the Paris Air Show and outlines plans to set up a final assembly line at Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) in Nagpur, Maharashtra. DRAL, a joint venture between Dassault and Reliance Aerostructure Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, will also become a global centre of excellence for the Falcon series including future assembly of the Falcon 6X and Falcon 8X jets.
The first ‘Made in India’ Falcon 2000 jet is expected to be ready by 2028 and will serve both corporate and military customers. The manufacturing expansion is expected to generate several hundred skilled engineering and technician jobs over the next decade.
Reliance Infrastructure shares surged following the news, rising by 5 per cent to close at Rs 386.05 apiece on the BSE.
As part of the partnership, Dassault will transfer key production responsibilities to India including the assembly of the Falcon 2000’s fuselage, wings and front section. DRAL will also take on front fuselage assembly for the larger Falcon 6X and 8X models. The Nagpur facility, which has already delivered over 100 major sub-sections for the Falcon 2000 since 2019, will undergo significant upgrades to support this expanded role.
Anil D. Ambani, Chairman of Reliance Group, hailed the agreement as a milestone for India’s aviation sector. He said the collaboration is a powerful expression of their commitment to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of Atmanirbhar Bharat and Make in India for the World.
Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, said the agreement reflects Dassault’s long-term commitment to India. He said it marks the ramp-up of DRAL in line with the strategic vision shared with Reliance.
The announcement comes shortly after another major defence development involving Reliance Group. Last week, Reliance Defence signed a Rs 10,000 crore agreement with Germany’s Diehl Defence for the local production of Vulcano 155mm precision-guided munitions. These are advanced artillery shells designed for high-accuracy long-range strikes.
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