Chairmen Dassault Aviation and Reliance Group Lay Foundation Stone for DRAL
To manufacture components for the legacy Falcon 2000 series of civil jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation
Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) manufacturing facility was inaugurated by the Chairmen Dassault Aviation, Eric Trappier and Reliance Group, Anil D. Ambani at Mihan in Nagpur on October 27
Under Joint Venture Company, DRAL (51 percent Reliance Aerostructure and 49 percent Dassault Aviation) facility will manufacture several components of the offset obligation connected to the purchase of 36 Rafale Fighters from France, signed between the two governments in September 2016.
The foundation stone was laid in the presence of minister of Armed Forces of France, Florence Parly, Union minister for Road Transport and Highways of India, Nitin Gadkari, who is also a Member of Parliament from Nagpur, chief minister of Maharashtra, Devendra Fadnavis, and Ambassador of France to India, Alexandre Ziegler.
Dassault Aviation Chairman, Eric Trappier said, “This Foundation Stone laying demonstrates Dassault’s firm commitment to implementing Prime Minister Modi’s “Make in India” program. It gives the 65 year-long strong association of Dassault-Aviation in India a new momentum and the will of future manufacturing developments.”
Reliance Group Chairman, Anil D. Ambani said “this facility in Mihan, Nagpur within the Aerospace Park named after my late father Dhirubhai Ambani could not have happened without the strong and consistent support of Nitin Gadkari and Devendra Fadnavis. The Reliance Dassault partnership will bring high levels of technology transfer. It will make India a major supplier into the global aviation supply chain”. He further said that ‘it will be the endeavor of both Dassault and Reliance to fully support Prime Minister Modi’s “Make in India” and “Skill India” policies and to accelerate India’s pursuit of self sufficiency in the aerospace sector’.
DRAL will manufacture components for the legacy Falcon 2000 series of civil jets manufactured by Dassault Aviation and thus will become part of its global supply chain. These first steps are expected to achieve in the coming years, the possible setting up of final assembly of Rafale and Falcon Aircraft.
The joint venture also represents a Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) by Dassault Aviation of over 100 Million Euros.
The DRAL facility is said to train thousands of skilled workers in aviation assembly and integration, and lead to huge employment generation in Nagpur and its surrounding areas. It will also attract and house an organic ecosystem of over 200 MSME’s to secure the component and avionics manufacturing needs of Rafale and Falcon Jets.