n a major boost to India’s aerospace manufacturing sector, Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure has partnered with France’s Dassault Aviation to produce Falcon 2000 business jets domestically. This historic collaboration marks the first time Dassault will assemble Falcon jets outside France, placing India among a select group of nations capable of producing world-class business aircraft. The announcement was made at the Paris Air Show, where both companies confirmed that the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) facility in Nagpur, Maharashtra, will host the final assembly line. Deliveries of the Falcon 2000 jets are expected to begin by 2028, and the aircraft will serve both corporate and military markets.
According to a joint statement, the DRAL Nagpur facility is set to become a global center of excellence for Falcon aircraft production, eventually expanding to include the Falcon 6X and Falcon 8X models. Key production processes — including the assembly of fuselage, wings, and front sections — will be transferred to India. The upgraded plant will not only enhance local aerospace capabilities but also align with the long-term strategic vision shared by Dassault and Reliance. Dassault CEO Eric Trappier emphasized that this partnership represents a significant ramp-up in DRAL’s role and reflects the partners’ commitment to India’s growing aerospace ecosystem.
Anil D. Ambani, Founder-Chairman of the Reliance Group, described the venture as a “powerful reaffirmation” of their commitment to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India for the World’ initiatives. “This collaboration is a powerful expression of our commitment to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision,” Ambani stated in the company’s release. The move is set to generate hundreds of high-skilled engineering and technician jobs in Nagpur over the next decade, further strengthening India’s position as a global player in aviation and defense manufacturing.
DRAL, established as a joint venture in 2017, has already delivered over 100 major sub-sections for Falcon 2000 jets from its MIHAN-SEZ facility. The new full-scale assembly operations will significantly scale up production capacity. This announcement also comes shortly after Reliance Defence, another subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure, signed a ₹10,000 crore deal with Germany’s Diehl Defence to locally produce the Vulcano 155mm precision-guided munition system. Together, these developments position Reliance as a key contributor to India’s evolving defense and aerospace manufacturing landscape.
