Dassault Aviation Announces Military Aircraft Facility In Noida On 10th Anniversary Of Make In India

Noida: French aircraft manufacturing company, Dassault Aviation, on Wednesday, announced the creation of a company dedicated exclusively to the maintenance, repair and overall (MRO) of its military activities. The facility, named Dassault Aviation MRO India (DAMROI), is set to come up in Uttar Pradesh’s Noida, which is a subsidiary of Dassault Aviation. The company will be committed to meeting the needs of the Indian Air Force (IAF), which will not be limited to the services provided to Rafale aircraft, but it will also offer tailor-made products and services to support its Mirage 2000 fleet and more. Surprisingly, the announcement has come up on the 10th anniversary of the ‘Make in India’ drive started by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government. 

According to the officials, the significant development by the French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation is to establish a facility in Noida to provide support to the French-origin fighter jets in the Indian Air Force. Notably, the IAF operates Dassault Aviation made, around 50 Mirage-2000 aircraft inducted in the 1980s and 36 Rafale fighter aircraft inducted in the last few years.

Dassault Aviation's New Facility Is In Line With India's Vision Of Aatma Nirbharta

With the latest announcement, Dassault Aviation assured to fulfil its commitment to provide the best possible responsiveness and efficiency.

The officials from the defence stated, "The French firm recently informed the Defence Ministry and the Indian Air Force about setting up a new Indian company Dassault Aviation Maintenance Repair and Overhaul India (DAMROI) to provide maintenance, repair and overhaul support for the French-origin fighter aircraft in India," news agency ANI reported.

Pertinently, the facility, which will come up in one of the industrial sectors in Noida, is in line with India's vision of Aatma Nirbharta (self-reliance). The new subsidiary company, which is set to be established, has reportedly informed the Defence Ministry that it would consist of an Indian national and old Dassault representative in India Posina Venkata Rao as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO).

According to the reports, Rao has been associated with Dassault Aviation in India for many decades and has been closely involved in their campaigns in India. He will have a workforce of both French and Indian nationals as part of the team.

Dassault has informed that it plans to progressively scale up the MRO activities at the DAMROI in cooperation with the Indian aeronautical industrial ecosystem, thereby considerably enhancing the scope of support for fighter aircraft of French origin.

The step is being considered as a major significant move as the MRO is likely to provide support to the Jaguar deep penetration fighter jets, which are on their last legs of operations in India, as they also have French connections. Dassault Aviation is negotiating a deal with the Indian Navy to sell its Rafale Marine jets.