Dassault-Reliance To build Falcon Jets In India, Full Aircraft Assembly To Begin In Nagpur From 2025
New Delhi/Nagpur: India is getting ready to take a big step in aircraft manufacturing. Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL), a joint venture between French company Dassault and India’s Reliance Aerospace, will start making Falcon business jets in Nagpur by 2025.
The joint venture was formed in 2017 as part of an agreement linked to the Rafale fighter jet deal. So far, the Nagpur plant has been making parts for fighter jets. In fact, it delivered its first Falcon 2000 jet cockpit back in 2019.
There were earlier plans to start full aircraft assembly in India by 2022, but those were delayed. Now, the project is back on track. A source close to DRAL confirmed that the first fully built Falcon 2000 LXS jet is expected to roll out from the Nagpur facility in early 2025.
The initial goal is to produce 18 jets each year, with the capacity increasing to 22 jets if needed. The first nine jets will be delivered to the French Defence Ministry, which has already placed its order.
This development is a proud moment for India. Once the jets start coming out of the DRAL factory, India will join a select group of countries that make business jets.
Dassault is known for its aircraft-making skills. It has a main assembly facility in France and a completion center in the US where finishing work like interiors and painting is done.
In India, Dassault is already a known name in the business jet space. It is the third-largest maker of such jets in the country, after Textron and Bombardier. There are about 20 Falcon jets already flying here. These jets are favored by charter flight operators because of their roomy cabins and comfortable interiors.
While there were reports earlier about Reliance possibly selling its stake in DRAL, the source said no such talks are happening.
With production kicking off in 2025, Nagpur is set to become a key hub for high-end aircraft manufacturing in India.
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