DRAL announces plans for complete jet manufactures

Interflight Middle East Falcon 2000

Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited, based in Nagpur, India, has just announced the completion of its first Falcon 2000 cockpit front section. Assembled in India, which is an offshore base for Dassault, parts of jets are currently being shipped to France for the final Falcon assembly line.

Dassault established a joint venture with Reliance Group, an Indian conglomerate, back in February 2017. This proved to be a strategic move for both sides: establishing Dassault’s offshore production arm, and equally opening up the global aerospace realm to India.

Reliance’s corporate communications refused to comment despite agreeing to cooperate our inquiries.

The MIHAN manufacturing facility, some 1,000 kilometres from New Delhi, currently produces Dassault-standard aircraft parts. However, the company announced that infrastructure to produce complete jets is being arranged; with the eventual goal to fly a complete jet out of Nagpur by 2022.

Currently, Dassault has chosen to construct its entry-level, super mid-size jet — the Falcon 2000 — at the DRAL plant. An industry professional said: “Since this segment of the market is quite sensitive to price, being more competitive is helpful for Dassault.”

The DRAL plant is also at the centre of political warfare being led by India’s opposition Congress Party, against the Narendra Modi government. This finds its roots in offset controversies following the 2016 Rafale military deal – which the Indian government has failed to deliver on. India’s 2019 election season is around the corner as well, held in April and May.

Further, DRAL will cooperate with the ‘Make in India’ drive, which is a 2014 government initiative — encouraging companies to manufacture their products in India. The plant will also be a part of campaign ‘Skill India’, which aims to train ten million people in different skills by 2022.

This first Falcon 2000 cockpit will be displayed on Dassault Aviation’s booth during the Aero India Air show in Bangalore from February 20th to 24th.

Dassault Aviation’s chief executive officer, Eric Trappier, said: “This cockpit delivered to Dassault Aviation from our Nagpur facility brightly illustrates the ambitions we have with and for India. We are totally committed to develop a self-reliant Indian aerospace industrial ecosystem and to demonstrate competitiveness, quality and safety highest standards.”

Information amplifying the bald corporate announcement is scarce at present.