Reliance, Dassault Aviation to build Falcon 2000 jets in India by 2028

Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL) to build Falcon 2000 jets in India; Nagpur facility to serve as global Centre of Excellence, with first aircraft rollout targeted by 2028

Anil Ambani-led Reliance Aerostructure Limited (RAL) and Dassault Aviation announced a strategic alliance at the Paris Air Show that will shift production of Falcon 2000 business jets to India for customers worldwide. The move, formalised through their joint venture, Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL), is the first time in the French planemaker’s 106-year history that the twin-engine Falcon 2000 will be built outside France, the companies said in a joint press release.

 

“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,” the companies said in the joint release.

 

By adding India to an elite roster — currently the United States, France, Canada and Brazil — that builds next-generation executive aircraft, the pact sets a new benchmark for the country’s manufacturing ambitions.

 

Nagpur to host a global Centre of Excellence

 

Under the agreement, DRAL will establish a state-of-the-art final assembly line for the Falcon 2000 at MIHAN in Nagpur. DRAL will also be upgraded to serve as the worldwide Centre of Excellence (CoE) for all Falcon models, including the ultra-long-range Falcon 6X and three-engine Falcon 8X.

 

Eric Trappier, chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, said, "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."

 

“Dassault Aviation will also transfer the assembly of the front section of Falcon 8X and Falcon 6X, in addition to the wings and complete fuselage assembly of Falcon 2000 to DRAL,” the release noted. Facility upgrades now under way aim to enable the first Falcon 2000 to roll off the Nagpur line and take flight from Indian soil by 2028.

 

Anil Ambani, founder-chairman of Reliance Group, said, “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. This collaboration is a powerful expression of our commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (Self-Reliant India), and ‘Make in India for the World’ initiative, showcasing India’s capability to build and deliver next-generation business jets for global markets."

 

DRAL’s track record

 

The Dassault-Reliance joint venture began in 2017 with a greenfield unit in Nagpur. After delivering its first Falcon 2000 forward section in 2019, the plant has produced more than 100 major sub-assemblies, demonstrating what partners describe as “world-class precision manufacturing capabilities”.

 

To meet the expanded workload, DRAL plans to hire “several hundred engineers and technicians over the next decade”. These recruitments, Trappier added, underline Dassault’s “unwavering belief in our future in India", and are expected to spur a wider network of local suppliers, reinforcing the country’s credentials as a centre for complex aerostructure production.