Saturday, February 18, 2012

EXCLUSIVE! Reliance looks at being lead integrator in MMRCA


Neelam Mathews
Feb 18, 2012

Reliance Industries has submitted an 800-page report to the government with a detailed proposal on it being a lead integrator for the MMRCA project, Aerospace Diary learns.

Reliance is said to have proposed it can set up the facility at HAL or undertake the offsets with private companies.

It is not unlikely, Aerospace Diary learns, for Dassault Aviation to shift its manufacturing facility to India. “Presently, there are three Rafales being produced a year. In India, it would be ten a year,” says an official not willing to be quoted.

Recently an Indian news report announced a tie-up between Reliance and Dassault Aviation for the manufacture and support for the lowest MMRCA bidder, Rafale.

Should the proposal be cleared, it will open a new chapter in defense manufacturing in India. HAL, according to the rules of the DPP 2006, which the MMRCA comes under, is expected to be the lead integrator of the project. However, given its backlog and inability to stick to timelines, it is likely, clearance may be given to Reliance. How competitors in the field will react to this, is not known.

3 comments:

  1. wg cdr (r) vishwas kherFebruary 21, 2012 at 9:27 AM

    highly appreciable.....even Govt desires strong indigenized aerospace industry to leverage exclusivity in technology. Reliance or any good private industry like L&T or TATA, would go beyond HAL status of “ only a integrator”, if given opportunity. I feel Govt should extend support to Reliance what it used to provide to HAL, in terms of leased land, Tax benefit, custom duty exemption on tools, etc

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  2. One unique aspect in defence decision making in this country is that the serving defence employees are. Looking for post retirement plan and hence invariable the choice goes in favour of private companies which can be an easy employment ground for retired ones.

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  3. Why should Reliance be any better than HAL ... or Tata-HAL...Reliance has no experience, no competence and no abilities to execute...V Lall team - give me a break. He and they were kicked out from major government deals in security coz of exactly that. What have they accomplished in two years, = 0. Lets see when the big boss get 2 sec to re-think.

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