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In a major development, French major Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited on Thursday, June 5, signed four production transfer agreements to manufacture the Rafale fighter aircraft fuselage in India. This is the first time that the Rafale fuselage will be produced outside France.
Tata Advanced Systems will set up a “cutting-edge production facility in Hyderabad for the manufacture of key structural sections of the Rafale, including the lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage, and the front section,” a press release from the two companies said.
The first fuselage sections are expected to roll off the assembly line in FY2028, with the facility expected to deliver up to two complete fuselages per month.
"For the first time, Rafale fuselages will be produced outside France. This is a decisive step in strengthening our supply chain in India. Thanks to the expansion of our local partners, including TASL, one of the major players in the Indian aerospace industry, this supply chain will contribute to the successful ramp-up of the Rafale," said Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.
The Adani Group already operates an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) manufacturing unit at the Adani Aerospace Park in Hyderabad, in collaboration with Israeli military manufacturer Elbit Systems. The Adani Elbit UAV Complex was inaugurated in Hyderabad in 2018 under the previous Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) government.
This was reportedly the first unit outside of Israel to manufacture the Hermes 900 drones,which have been supplied to Israel.
Another defence manufacturer Apollo Micro Systems Limited (AMSL) is also establishing a weapons systems integration facility in Telangana at a cost of Rs 210 crore.
It was also announced that JSW UAV Limited, a subsidiary of JSW Defence, is investing Rs 800 crore to set up a defence drone manufacturing facility in Telangana.
According to the Telangana Socio Economic Outlook 2025, the aircraft, spacecraft & parts sector saw the highest share of merchandise exports between April and December 2024, with a value of Rs 30,742 crore and a share of 30.66%.
In April this year, India signed a Rs 63,000 crore deal with France to buy 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets, which will give a boost to the Indian Navy amid growing security concerns over China flexing its maritime muscle in the Indo-Pacific region.
The procurement will proceed under an Inter-Governmental Agreement, ensuring direct deliveries without any intermediaries. The deal has been signed for 22 single-seater jets and four twin-seater trainers, with deliveries expected to be completed by 2031.
With IANS inputs