Dassault Aviation, the French company behind the powerful Rafale fighter jet, has its eyes on a bigger piece of India's growing aerospace industry. They've made a bold move, offering to start building Rafales right in India – but there's a catch. Dassault wants full control of its existing Indian partnership, Dassault Reliance Aerospace Ltd (DRAL).
The Promise: Faster Jets for India
Why does Dassault think this is a good deal for India? They claim that with full ownership, they could ramp up production and build two Rafale jets every month at their Indian facility. That's huge! If they keep that pace, India could get all 114 jets it wants for its upcoming fighter jet competition in just five years.
A Reality Check
Hold on a second, says a defense analyst. He points out that Dassault's factory in France only managed to produce 13 Rafales in 2023, even though they aimed for 15. Could they really do so much better in India? Analyst also thinks that Dassault might be able to build even more jets (around 25 per year) in other countries.
Politics and Timing
There's also the matter of India's upcoming elections. The official request for companies to compete for that big fighter jet contract probably won't happen until after the elections. This adds another layer of "wait-and-see" to the whole situation.
The Bottom Line
Dassault wants to bring more investment to India's defense industry. But, there are questions! Can they really build jets as fast as they say? And, when will India even officially start that big jet fighter competition? India's government and air force will have a lot to think about as they weigh Dassault's offer against other options.
