Made-in-India business jet by 2028: JV of France's Dassault, Anil Ambani-led company to manufacture Falcon 2000 planes in Nagpur

Indian Express

18-06-2025

In what may be seen as a big push for the aerospace manufacturing ecosystem in India, French military aircraft and business jet maker Dassault Aviation will manufacture its best-selling business executive jet—the Falcon 2000—at Nagpur in partnership with the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group company Reliance Aerostructure Ltd (RAL). The two companies announced a strategic partnership for this purpose at the Paris Air Show on Wednesday, announcing that the first made-in-India Falcon 2000 jet should be ready by 2028.
The announcement comes barely two weeks after Dassault and Tata Advanced Systems announced that the latter will set up a facility in Hyderabad to manufacture the fuselage of the Rafale fighter aircraft. The French company has had a long-standing relationship with India, most notably through its fighter jets Mirage 2000 and Rafale that are part of the Indian Air Force's fleet of fighters.
'Dassault Aviation will manufacture Falcon 2000 jets outside of France for the first time in its storied history. This pioneering initiative will see India emerge as a strategic centre for high-end business jet manufacturing. It marks a historic moment for Indian aerospace and manufacturing industry, as the landmark agreement paves way for India's entry into the elite club of countries producing next-generation business jets, alongside the United States, France, Canada, and Brazil,' the two partners said in a joint release, adding that the made-in-India jets will cater to rising business jet demand in India and international markets.
The release did not spell out the capacity of the Falcon 2000 production facility, but sources in the know indicated that it could be up to 24 aircraft a year.
This would be the first-ever instance of a foreign aircraft manufacturer setting up a final assembly line (FAL) in India for civilian aircraft. European aerospace major Airbus, which has a minority stake in Dassault, will be setting up an FAL in India in partnership with the Tata group, but that will be for manufacturing helicopters. Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems already have an FAL in India for the C295 military transport aircraft.
India, the fastest-growing major civil aviation market globally, also harbours the ambition to emerge as a manufacturing base for the global aerospace industry, and is keen on international aerospace majors to source components from the country as well as manufacture aircraft here.
Dassault Aviation will also transfer the assembly of the front section of Falcon 8X and Falcon 6X—two other jets in the Falcon family of aircraft—in addition to the wings and complete fuselage assembly of Falcon 2000 to the partners' joint-venture Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL). The transfer of assembly operations combined with major facility upgrades, will pave the way for the first flight of made-in-India Falcon 2000 by 2028, Dassault Aviation and RAL said.
Currently, around 2,200 Falcon family jets are in service in over 90 countries.
The FAL for the Falcon 200 jets will be set up at Mihan, Nagpur, where DRAL has a manufacturing facility for making various sections of the Falcon 2000 jet. Since delivering its first Falcon 2000 front section in 2019, DRAL has assembled over 100 major sub-sections for the Falcon 2000.
'This new agreement, which will make DRAL the first centre of excellence for Falcon assembly outside France and which will eventually enable the establishment of a final assembly line for the Falcon 2000, illustrates, once again, our firm intent to meet our 'Make in India' commitments, and to contribute to the recognition of India as a major partner in the global aerospace supply chain,' said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO, Dassault Aviation.
'Our partnership with Dassault Aviation represents a landmark in Reliance Group's journey, as we work together to firmly position India as a vital hub in the global aerospace value chain,' Reliance Group Chairman Anil Ambani said, adding that the collaboration with Dassault is a 'powerful expression' of the group's commitment to the vision of self-reliant India and 'Make in India for the World' initiative outlined by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
DRAL is expected to recruit several hundred engineers and technicians over the next decade to support its expanding operations, the two partners said, adding that this underscores Dassault's 'deep commitment' to strengthening India's aerospace manufacturing ecosystem and advancing the country's emergence as a global centre of excellence for high-precision aviation production.
Sukalp Sharma is a Senior Assistant Editor with The Indian Express and writes on a host of subjects and sectors, notably energy and aviation. He has over 13 years of experience in journalism with a body of work spanning areas like politics, development, equity markets, corporates, trade, and economic policy. He considers himself an above-average photographer, which goes well with his love for travel. ... Read More