India CSR News Network
MUMBAI: A new joint venture Dassault Reliance Aerospace, between Dassault Aviation of France and Reliance Group, announced today, will support India’s ambitious Make in India and Skill India policies and develop major programs with high levels of technology transfer to benefit the entire aerospace sector.
Among India’s top 5 business house Reliance Group, led by Chairman Anil D. Ambani has entered the Indian Defence manufacturing sector January, 2015.
The Joint Venture will be a key player in the execution of offset obligations, as a part of the 36 Rafale fighter Jets purchase agreement at a value of €7.87 billion, or about Rs.59,000 crore signed between France and India on September 23, 2016.
In September 23, 2016, India and France have signed the much-awaited Rafale deal for 36 fighter jets. This is India’s first fighter jet deal in last 36 years. The deliveries of fighter jets will start in 36 months.
The agreement includes a 50% offset obligation which is the largest ever offset contract in the history of India.
“The formation of this Joint venture with Reliance Aerospace led by Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group illustrates our strong commitment to establish ourselves in India and to develop strategic industrial partnerships under the Make in India policy promoted by the Indian Government”, declared Eric Trappier, Dassault Aviation Chairman & CEO.
“We are delighted to partner a world leader in aviation like Dassault Aviation, and a visionary leader like Eric Trappier. This is a transformational moment for the Indian Aerospace sector and for Reliance Infrastructure’s subsidiary Reliance Aerospace”, said Anil Ambani, Chairman of The Reliance Group.
The proposed strategic partnership between Dassault and Reliance will also focus on promoting Research and development projects under the IDDM program (Indigenously Designed, Developed and Manufactured), a new initiative of India’s Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.
Reliance Defence Ltd, a 100% subsidiary of Reliance Infrastructure Ltd and Rafael Advanced Defence Systems Ltd will also set up a joint venture company in India in the highly specialized areas of Air to Air Missiles, Air Defence Systems and Large Aerostats.
The joint venture company will be located at Pithampur, Indore in the state of Madhya Pradesh and will generate more than 3000 highly skilled jobs. The project will have an initial capital outlay of more than Rs 1,300 crore, without including the cost of technology. Rafael is a market leader in the Air to Air Missile segment and has world renowned product like Python and Derby. Similarly, for the Air Defence Systems, Rafael portfolio includes SPYDER short range and medium range and Barak missiles family of Surface to Air Missiles in the short and medium range.
On April 24, 2015, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar informed Lok Sabha, “As per the India-France Joint Statement issued by the two countries during the Prime Minister’s visit to France, Government of India conveyed to the Government of France that in view of the critical operational necessity for Multirole Combat Aircraft for Indian Air Force (IAF), Government of India would like to acquire 36 Rafale jets in fly-away condition as quickly as possible.”
“The two leaders agreed to conclude an Inter-Governmental Agreement for supply of the aircraft on terms that would be better than conveyed by Dassault Aviation as part of a separate process underway; the delivery would be in time-frame that would be compatible with the operational requirement of IAF, and that the aircraft and associated systems and weapons would be delivered on the same configuration as had been tested and approved by IAF; and with a longer maintenance responsibility by France.”, Defence Minister informed Lok Sabha.
Jean-Yves Le Drian, Defence Minister of France visited India and met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on September 23, 2016.
The High Committee on Defence Cooperation (HCDC) last met (15th meeting) in Paris, France on January 12, 2015 to discuss Strategic partnership, military cooperation, Procurement and Research & Technology.
On February 3, 2016 in while addressing Invest Karnataka 2016 summit in Bengaluru, Anil Ambani said, “…I am here today to make a big commitment in that direction by announcing Dhirubhai Ambani Centre for Innovation and research in Aerospace. This will be a knowledge-driven technology venture that symbolizes the essential Bengaluru spirit of innovation and will take our involvement in Karnataka to a completely new level. We are proposing to set up a Global Centre of Aerospace Excellence herein Whitefield, Bengaluru. The centre, the first-ever of its kind in the private sector in India, will be a world class facility for research, development and innovation in aerospace technology. It will generate more than 1500 highly skilled jobs.”
