Made-in-India Falcon 2000 Jets Move Ahead as Dassault Deepens Commitment

• Nagpur will host Dassault’s first Falcon 2000XLS assembly line outside France, marking India’s entry into global business jet manufacturing by 2028.
• Dassault Aviation has secured majority control in its Reliance venture, ensuring stability and long-term support for the Made-in-India Falcon program.
• Aligned with Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat, the project brings high-tech jobs, global supply chain access, and positions India as a new aerospace hub.

The recent Enforcement Directorate (ED) raids on Anil D. Ambani’s group companies have upset India’s corporate landscape. But will they impact the world of aerospace manufacturing with which the Ambani Group is inextricably linked? Apparently not. The raids will not stop the Dassault-Reliance joint venture from producing Falcon 2000XLS business jets in Nagpur.

The agreement to make Falcon business jets in India was signed on June 18, 2025, at the Paris Air Show by Dassault Aviation and Reliance Aerostructure Limited, a subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure.

The landmark deal saw the establishment of a final assembly line for Falcon 2000 jets in Nagpur and marked the first time in Dassault’s 106-year history that it would manufacture these jets outside France. Once the first Falcon business jet leaves the production line, India will become one of the few nations, other than the US, France, Canada, and Brazil, that assembles high-end business jets for global markets.

The ED’s raids have not touched Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL), the joint venture. Reliance Infrastructure stated that the raids had “absolutely no impact” on business operations, financial performance, or stakeholder commitments.

Dassault has shown its confidence in the venture, strengthening its hold in DRAL with the transfer of a 2% equity stake from Reliance Aerostructure to Dassault Aviation.

This has raised Dassault’s stake to 51% in DRAL — the aviation major paid a whopping ₹175.96 crore for the stake. With the majority stake, Dassault will strengthen its service guarantees and provide long-term customer support.

The decision to produce the Falcon 2000 in India goes hand in hand with the government’s “Make in India” and “Atmanirbhar Bharat” policies that seek to boost domestic manufacturing and reduce dependency on imports. It will also help begin high-tech industrial capabilities.

Nagpur played an important role for aerospace production. Specifically, its MIHAN (Multi-modal International Cargo Hub and Airport) was chosen for its infrastructure. Additionally, it has access to a runway and available land. DRAL will be Dassault’s global Centre of Excellence (CoE) for Falcon aircraft, including the future Falcon 6X and 8X models.

Dassault Aviation’s Chairman and CEO Éric Trappier, in an interview to CNBC TV18 way back in October 2018, emphasised that the “Choice of Reliance is mine. I had the choice of Reliance in 2011. We signed the first MoU in 2012.

We continue to have discussions with Reliance…when the contract was announced for 36 (Rafale) aircraft, we continued to have agreement with them, as Dassault policy is to set up facilities in India, and I want to produce from scratch a Falcon 2000 in India, including the assembly line of the Falcon 2000, including the flight testing production flight in India.”

He also mentioned in the interview, “For that I need an airfield. How can I do an assembly line without an airfield? Bengaluru is very busy; it’s a very busy city, it’s a big city, but there is no land available. The same story in Mumbai, same story in New Delhi. I found that Nagpur is in the middle of India, where land is available and we can build new hangars and facilities for the manufacturing of Falcon parts and Rafale parts, including when the assembly line would be a very good idea for my company.”

The partnership was in consonance with India’s ambitions and a “significant step in advancing India’s aerospace manufacturing capabilities”. On his part, Anil Ambani described the joint venture as a “defining moment” for both the Reliance Group and India’s aerospace industry, reinforcing the country’s position in the global aerospace value chain.

The Falcon 2000LXS is the last word on luxury in executive aviation. The twin-engine business jet is capable of flying up to 4,000 nautical miles and costs approximately ₹300 crore ($35 million). It is used by high net worth individuals, governments and even the military.

By 2028, when the first “Made in India” Falcon jet takes off, it will not only mark a technological achievement but also reflect India’s growing stature in global aviation.

Incidentally, DRAL has delivered more than 100 major Falcon 2000 sub-sections since its first nose section assembly in 2019. The next phase for DRAL will be full aircraft assembly.

Arguments have been raised regarding Dassault’s choice of Anil Ambani’s Reliance as a partner since Reliance had little or no experience in aviation manufacturing. Dassault, however, has often pointed out that its selection of Reliance Aerostructure was based on technical criteria, such as the availability of land in Nagpur and proper registration with the Ministry of Corporate Affairs.

Added to that is Dassault’s financial clout, It has a market capitalisation of over ₹ 2 lakh crore and holds cash reserves exceeding ₹ 80,000 crore, according to Financial Express. With such financial resources, Dassault can be expected to meet its “Make in India” commitments.

India will also benefit from this partnership. Not only will the country take major steps in high-tech manufacturing – jobs for engineers and technicians have been created – but it will also provide the country with the path to step into the global aerospace supply chain.

While the ED’s investigations into Anil Ambani’s business empire will continue to attract headlines, they appear unlikely to slow the Falcon 2000XLS manufacturing drive. With Dassault Aviation taking majority control of the DRAL joint venture, clear strategic focus, and alignment with India’s industrial ambitions, the first “Made in India” Falcon jet seems firmly on course to take flight in 2028.

Also Read: Dassault Aviation to manufacture Falcon 2000 business jets in India