Reliance and Dassault to Manufacture Falcon 2000 Jets in India, First Delivery Expected by 2028

In a significant development for India’s aerospace industry, Reliance Aerostructure Limited, a subsidiary of Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure, has partnered with French aviation giant Dassault Aviation to manufacture Falcon 2000 business jets in India. This marks the first time Dassault will produce its Falcon series outside France, putting India in an elite group of countries — including the United States, France, Canada, and Brazil — that manufacture business jets for global markets.

The announcement was made during the Paris Air Show and lays the foundation for a full-fledged final assembly line at the Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) facility in Nagpur, Maharashtra. The first 'Made in India' Falcon 2000 is expected to roll out by 2028, and will cater to both corporate and defense sectors, underlining its dual-purpose capability.

The Falcon 2000 is a twin-engine, long-range business jet known for its performance, comfort, and reliability. With a range of approximately 3,350 nautical miles (6,200 km) and a cruising speed of Mach 0.80, it can carry up to 10 passengers in a luxuriously configured cabin. It’s widely used by corporate executives and also adapted by several air forces around the world for surveillance and liaison duties.

Under the new agreement, DRAL will not only assemble complete Falcon 2000 aircraft but will also take over the production of major components like fuselage sections, wings, and nose assemblies. This will also include front fuselage work for other Dassault jets, such as the larger Falcon 6X and ultra-long-range Falcon 8X. Dassault plans to upgrade the Nagpur facility with modern tooling and infrastructure to support these advanced operations.

This move is part of Dassault’s long-term vision to deepen its industrial base in India and reflects its strong commitment to the ‘Make in India’ and ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) initiatives. “This collaboration is a powerful expression of our commitment to Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi’s vision of ‘Make in India for the World’,” said Anil D. Ambani. Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation, added that the partnership with Reliance marks a strategic expansion of DRAL’s role in the global Falcon program.

DRAL, established in 2017 as a joint venture between Dassault and Reliance, has already delivered over 100 key sub-sections for Falcon 2000 jets from its Nagpur facility. The new assembly line will significantly scale up operations and is expected to generate hundreds of skilled jobs over the next decade, helping build India’s technical and manufacturing capabilities in the aviation sector.

This announcement follows another major move by Reliance Defence, which recently signed a ₹10,000 crore deal with Germany’s Diehl Defence for local production of the Vulcano 155mm precision-guided artillery shell. These developments highlight Reliance Group’s growing involvement in India’s defense and aerospace manufacturing ecosystem, with an increasing focus on high-technology, export-oriented production.

Together, the Dassault-Reliance Falcon jet project and the Diehl artillery program showcase India’s emerging role as a major hub for advanced defense and aerospace manufacturing, signaling a strong push toward self-reliance and international competitiveness.