France’s Dassault Aviation announced plans to manufacture Falcon 2000 business jets in India through a partnership with Reliance Infrastructure, marking a major step in India’s push for domestic defence and aerospace production.
The jets will be produced at a final assembly line in Nagpur, set up in collaboration with Reliance Aerostructure, a subsidiary of the Anil Ambani-led Reliance Group. This will be the first time Dassault assembles Falcon 2000 aircraft outside of France. The company aims to deliver the first made-in-India Falcons by 2028, catering to both corporate and military sectors, and addressing growing demand from Indian and international markets.
India, currently the world’s largest arms importer, has been pushing to localize defence manufacturing. The government’s “Make in India” initiative encourages foreign firms to set up production in the country, either independently or through partnerships with Indian companies. Alongside reducing imports, New Delhi is also striving to grow its defence exports, which rose by 12% in the fiscal year ending March 2025 to $2.76 billion.
The announcement gave a boost to Reliance Infrastructure’s stock, which rose 5% in afternoon trading following the news. Dassault’s shares, however, remained largely unchanged.
Earlier this month, Dassault also signed a separate agreement with India’s Tata Group to produce fuselage components for its Rafale fighter jets in Hyderabad—marking the first time Rafale parts will be built outside of France.
Together, these developments underscore Dassault’s deepening commitment to India’s defence sector and highlight the country’s growing role in the global aerospace supply chain.
