France’s Dassault Aviation is planning to establish India as its second global manufacturing hub for Rafale fighter jets, supporting both domestic requirements and future exports. The move is linked to India’s proposed acquisition of 114 Rafale aircraft under the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme and aligns with the country’s Make in India initiative.
The expansion would significantly strengthen India’s aerospace manufacturing ecosystem through greater technology transfer, local production and supply-chain development. Dassault has already partnered with Tata Advanced Systems to manufacture Rafale fuselage sections in Hyderabad, marking the first time key Rafale structures are being produced outside France.
If the project moves ahead, India could become a key production and export base within Dassault’s global network, boosting defence manufacturing, creating high-skilled jobs and reinforcing the country’s ambitions of becoming a major global defence exporter.
