Present in India since 1953, Thales has been instrumental in providing expertise for the development of the defence sector. The company has built up a reputation of being a trusted partner to all three branches of the Indian armed forces. From designing smart sensors and advanced defence systems, to developing collaborative combat, and connecting and equipping soldiers on the digital battlefield, Thales’ systems deliver information superiority and give joint forces mastery of action whenever they face their decisive moments.

Thales’ strategy of developing its industrial footprint in India is in line with the Indian government’s policy of ‘Make in India’ and of developing the defence base of the country. The company’s local co-operative partnerships and joint ventures with public and private sector industries reinforce its commitment to the country. It has several local co-development initiatives which have increased manifold over the years. The company is constantly delivering high value-added solutions to help customers master their decisive moments in an increasingly complex world.

 Can you share details about the supply chain that Thales has developed in India over the last few decades, both in the commercial as well as defence domain?

Thales has been co-operating with the Indian private sector, particularly large corporate players, SMEs and MSMEs, to build transfer of technology and supply chain partnerships in the fields of complex electronics, wired mechanical structures, optronics, complex hardware and software engineering, among others.

The company ensures and increases the value of the Indian supply chain partners in its global supply chain ecosystem. It has over 50 offset partners engaged in global supply chain, and over 75 supply chain partners across defence and ground transportation markets. Such partnerships, for example with Mistral for X Band Exciter for Airborne SAR & PA Radar and control unit for in-flight video system, have led to an increase in design and development in India in the last two years. Some of Thales’ other supply chain partners include companies like Cyient, Centum, SFO, HCL, Hical, among others in various capacities.




Thales is developing local partnerships and co-developing products to address the Indian market as well as the exports from India. The company’s local partnerships and JVs in India are a testament to its long-standing relationship with the country. Working closely with Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) for over 50 years, Thales has been providing high-end avionics to equip the platforms that HAL is designing. The company has a strong working relationship with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) with whom it has formed a joint venture (JV) BEL-Thales Systems Limited (BTSL) dedicated to civilian and select ground-based military radars. Thales also has JVs with Samtel, L&T Technology Services and Reliance Aerostructures in the fields of military avionics and airborne sensor systems, avionics software, and electronic warfare and radars, respectively.