Newsletter
Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems just signed a deal to manufacture full Rafale fuselages in India for the first time, marking a major leap in the country’s defence manufacturing game.
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section. It holds crew, passengers, or cargo.
Under the deal, Tata will build a dedicated production facility in Hyderabad to manufacture key sections including rear, front, and central fuselage including the lateral shells of the aircraft.
Tata will handle the careful building of all major body parts of the Rafale jet, making sure everything fits and works perfectly, with Dassault providing technical support and oversight to ensure quality standards are met.
The plant is expected to deliver up to two fuelages per month. That level of output makes the Indian unit a key pillar in the global Rafale supply chain. For India, this brings:
- High-skill aerospace manufacturing jobs
- Local capability in fighter jet production
- Global confidence in Indian industrial reliability
Why it matters: India imported 36 Rafale jets from France under a high-profile defence deal signed in 2016, with all jets now delivered and flying for the Indian Air Force.
But now building at home is a huge boost for India’s aerospace industry as this puts India on the map as a trusted global manufacturing hub for high-tech defence equipment.
