Reliance Infrastructure, led by Anil Ambani, has announced a significant partnership between its subsidiary Reliance Aerostructure Limited and French aerospace major Dassault Aviation to manufacture Falcon-2000 business jets in India.

This collaboration, unveiled at the Paris Air Show, marks the first time Dassault will assemble its Falcon aircraft outside France, positioning India alongside the United States, France, Canada, and Brazil as one of the few countries manufacturing business jets for global markets.

The joint venture, Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL), will establish a state-of-the-art final assembly line for the Falcon-2000 jets in Nagpur, Maharashtra. This facility is set to become a global center of excellence for the Falcon series, supporting future assembly programs for the Falcon-6X and Falcon-8X jets as well. The first ‘Made in India’ Falcon-2000 jet is scheduled for its inaugural flight by 2028, catering to both corporate and military users in domestic and international markets.

The partnership involves the transfer of key production processes to DRAL, including the assembly of the Falcon-2000 fuselage, wings, and front section, as well as front fuselage work for the Falcon-8X and Falcon-6X. Dassault also plans to upgrade the Nagpur facility to support these advanced assembly lines, which will significantly scale up DRAL’s capabilities and require the recruitment of several hundred engineers and technicians over the next decade.

This move aligns with the Indian government’s ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India) initiatives, aiming to boost domestic aerospace manufacturing and defence exports. The announcement had an immediate positive impact on Reliance Infrastructure’s share price, which surged 5% to ₹386.05 on the BSE following the news.

DRAL, established in 2017, has already delivered over 100 major Falcon-2000 sub-sections from its Nagpur facility. The new assembly line marks a major leap in India’s aerospace ecosystem, enhancing its status as a strategic center for high-end business jet manufacturing.

Both Anil D Ambani and Dassault CEO Eric Trappier emphasized that this collaboration is a testament to Dassault’s commitment to ‘Make in India’ and reflects a shared strategic vision for the future of Indian aerospace.

In addition, Reliance Defence, another subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, recently signed a ₹10,000 crore agreement with Germany’s Diehl Defence for the local production of Vulcano 155mm precision-guided munitions, further underlining the group’s focus on advanced defence manufacturing in India.

The Reliance-Dassault partnership represents a transformative step for Indian aerospace, promising technology transfer, job creation, and a boost to India’s ambitions as a global player in both civil and defence aviation manufacturing.

Based On ET News Report