Rafale fuselage to be made in India for the first time

The main body of future Rafale fighter jets will be produced in India, outside France for the first time, with French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) on Thursday announcing their partnership to build Rafale fuselage at a facility being set up in Hyderabad, in a move that is seen as a big leap for the government's wide-ranging Make-in-India initiative.

- Rahul Singh

NEW DELHI:

The Hyderabad facility will supply the fuselages for India and other international markets 2028 onwards, the two firms said. Some of the 26 Rafale Marine fighters ordered by India for its navy will come with locally produced fuselages, people aware of the matter said.

Dassault Aviation and TASL have signed four production transfer agreements to manufacture the Rafale fuselage in India and called it a significant step forward in strengthening the country's aerospace manufacturing capabilities and supporting global supply chains. "Under the scope of the partnership, TASL 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," the two firms said in a joint statement issued in Saint Cloud and Mumbai.

The announcement comes weeks after India signed a ₹63,000-crore deal with France to buy 26 Rafale M aircraft for the navy which will operate them from its two aircraft carriers, with the deliveries expected to begin in three years and be completed by 2030.