‘Make in India’ boost! Reliance Infra arm partners with France’s Dassault; to make Falcon 2000 business jets

Falcon 2000 business jets will soon be ‘Made in India’: France’s Dassault Aviation has partnered with Reliance Aerostructure Limited to manufacture Falcon 2000 business jets within India.

This collaboration represents Dassault's first Falcon assembly venture outside France. With this development, India joins a select group of nations, including the United States, France, Canada, and Brazil, that produce business jets for international markets, according to an ET report.The partnership, revealed at the Paris Air Show, includes establishing a final assembly facility at Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) in Nagpur, Maharashtra.

This centre will serve as a global hub of excellence for the Falcon series, incorporating future assembly operations for both Falcon 6X and Falcon 8X aircraft.The first India-manufactured Falcon 2000 aircraft will likely be ready by 2028.Also Read | ‘Dramatic decline…watch out…’: China’s exports to US dip sharply amid Trump trade war; why India needs to be on the guardOn Wednesday, Reliance Infra's shares showed positive movement on the BSE, rising 5 per cent to Rs 386.05 per share.The collaboration includes transferring crucial production processes to DRAL, including assembly of the Falcon 2000 fuselage, wings, and front section, alongside front fuselage operations for the Falcon 8X and Falcon 6X.

Dassault intends to enhance facilities to accommodate these sophisticated assembly operations.DRAL, established as a joint venture in 2017, has delivered more than 100 major Falcon 2000 sub-sections from its Mihan facility in Nagpur. The additional assembly line will substantially enhance its operational capacity, necessitating the employment of hundreds of engineers and technicians in the coming decade.Recently, Reliance Defence, a Reliance Infrastructure subsidiary, established a Rs 10,000 crore agreement with Germany's Diehl Defence. This collaboration aims to domestically manufacture the Vulcano 155mm precision-guided munition system, a sophisticated artillery shell engineered for long-range, precise targeting.Also Read | Tata Electronics builds India’s 1st semiconductor fabrication unit: Gujarat enables 1,500 residential units; mainly for Tata Group staff, suppliers