The Making of Falcon 2000 Jets at Nagpur: All You Need To Know About It

Being the 3^rd largest force in the world, the Indian defence forces are not just about the might but also the kind of pride it has brought to the country. The resourcefulness, ambidexterity and altruistic attitude of the Indian defence forces have allowed them to be what they are today: the guarding forces of the nation. Viewed in the context of India’s immediate and extended neighbourhood, the stellar role of the Indian defence forces stands out in stark contrast to its counterparts in other countries. And this role is backed by a concrete ammunition supply system so as to reinforce its standing in the country.

Taking the aim of strengthening the standing of the defence forces in the country further, Reliance Reliance Group on 3^rd October 2016 announced a Joint Venture and announced the creation of Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd. A year later the foundation stone for the DRAL facility was laid in Mihan SEZ adjoining Nagpur International Airport. This was done with both Dassault CEO Eric Trappier and Reliance ADAG's Anil Ambani along with his family in attendance. In February 2019, it kick-started the production, with the delivery of major components for the Falcon 2000 LX executive jets which are right now being assembled in France.  

The top executives, who have been constantly on-job at the plant, stated that the plan is to scale up the production over the next three years and deliver a Falcon 2000 LX jet by 2022. Sampathkumaran ST, CEO of Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL) said, by early 2022, we want to assemble the complete Falcon 2000 aircraft here in Nagpur and we want to fly it out from here”. As a matter of fact, the plant should be well capable of manufacturing two aircrafts per month once it becomes completely operational.

 DRAL has just completed work on its first Falcon 2000 series forward cockpit. Rather than shipping it straight to Dassault’s final assembly line in Bordeaux France, it was first sent for display during the Aero India Air show in Bangalore from February 20th to 24th this year. As per the internal calculations, this Make in India project can give a $5 million cost advantage because of reduced labour and production costs at Nagpur in comparison to the current facility which is there in France.

As per the officials, on an average, a Falcon 2000 LX sells for a little over $35 million and the reduced cost for the Made in India jets would give it an edge in the international market over rivals. Once it gets completed, this will come out to be the first private sector assembly line that produces commercial jets in India.

Furthermore, the DRAL facility will train thousand 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 MSMEs to secure the components and avionics manufacturing needs of Falcon jets.