Dassault Aviation of France is planning a Rafale Assembly Line in India with an eye on the Indian Navy and Air Force orders.
According to sources close to the development, India can soon become the first country to produce a 4.5 generation fighter aircraft without being an Original Equipment Manufacturer or the OEM.
Dassault has a current backlog of close to 200 Rafales which includes outstanding deliveries for existing orders of 80 aircraft for UAE, 42 for Indonesia, 12 for Croatia, Egypt 54, Greece 24, Qatar 36 and potential 26 for the Indian Navy.
The sources further revealed that with its current capacity limited to 24 aircraft per year, there is a strong case for Dassault to establish an additional production line at its joint venture, DRAL in India.
India is a big market and the Indian Air Force is looking at purchasing 114 fighter aircraft. RFP for this is expected in the next six months.
This will be one of the largest orders for fighters anywhere in the world. Indian Naval order for 26 aircraft is also expected to be finalised within the next six months with deliveries starting in 2027.
Sources said that the Rafale manufacturing line at DRAL, MIHAN SEZ Nagpur will see an additional half a million square feet infrastructure spread over 4 hangars, with production starting in 2028.
Annual capacity is planned at 24 aircraft per year or two aircraft per month. At an anticipated price of Rs 1,000 crore per aircraft in 2028, it will translate into Rs 24,000 crore sales per annum.
This will require an additional investment of close to Rs 3,000 crore.
In terms of employment opportunities, DRAL will have more than 600 personnel to meet the requirements of the final assembly line for Falcon 2000. With Rafale, this could go past the 1,200 mark.
Pak plans to give Rs 14 crore to Masood Azhar from public funds: Rajnath Singh
Addressing troops at a military base in Gujarat's Bhuj, Rajnath Singh claimed that the Pakistan government intended to give Rs 14 crore to Masood Azhar, the UN-designated terrorist and chief of Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).
India's GDP growth in Q4 of 2024-25 expected at 6.8-7 per cent: Report
The Indian economy is expected to grow at 6.8-7 per cent in the fourth quarter of the financial year 2024-25, driven by the agriculture sector, according to a Bank of Baroda report released on Friday.
BJP, Congress welcome govt's move to send multi-party MP delegations abroad on Pahalgam attack
The Narendra Modi-led government's planned diplomatic initiative of sending multi-party MP delegations to major world capitals to expose Pakistan’s role in the recent Pahalgam terror attack and to rally global support against cross-border terrorism has won support from both the ruling BJP and the opposition Congress.
Operation Sindoor reflects PM Modi’s resolve, seamless intelligence, and armed forces’ power: HM Amit Shah
Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Friday lauded ‘Operation Sindoor’, India’s counterstrike in response to the deadly Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 lives, as a defining moment in the nation’s evolving security architecture.
Operation Sindoor: 48-member multi-party MP delegations to launch India's global diplomatic blitz from May 22
In a massive diplomatic push, the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has decided to dispatch multi-party MP delegations to key world capitals to expose Pakistan's hand in the recent Pahalgam terror attack and to build global support against cross-border terrorism.
Priority given to development of border villages in North Eastern states: Union MoS Dr. L Murugan
The Union Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting and Parliamentary Affairs Dr. L Murugan on Thursday arrived here at Agartala on a two-day visit to the state and laid emphasis on proper implementation of the flagship programmes of the Prime Minister.
MHA sanctioned another Tripura State Rifles battalion: CM Saha
An official of the Tripura Chief Minister’s Office (CMO) said that the decision to create another TSR battalion was taken based on Chief Minister Manik Saha's proposal placed before Union Home Minister Amit Shah during his recent meeting in New Delhi.
CM Dr Manik Saha seeks support from DoNER ministry for AIMS in Tripura
Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha on Thursday attended the second meeting of the High-Level Task Force on Investment Promotion in the North Eastern Region chaired by the DoNER Minister Jyotiraditya Scindia and sought support of the ministry for establishment of AIMS in Tripura.