New Delhi: Hical Technologies and Safran Aerosystems sign a Memorandum of Understanding on October 7 to explore a joint venture for manufacturing complex systems for the Dassault Rafale programme in India, marking another step in the expansion of the aircraft’s Indian industrial ecosystem. The proposed venture will focus on sophisticated fluid and fuel systems and related assemblies for Rafale aircraft being produced under the Make in India initiative.
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The proposed partnership would combine Safran Aerosystems’ expertise in aircraft fluid and fuel systems with Hical’s precision manufacturing and systems-integration capabilities. Safran describes the partnership as part of its effort to deepen collaboration with India’s private aerospace sector, while Hical says it aims to move further into complex systems manufacturing for high-end aerospace platforms.
The development builds on Hical’s growing role in the Rafale ecosystem. Dassault Aviation has already selected Hical to work directly on control systems for the Rafale programme, while Dassault says its Indian supplier network now includes more than 30 companies and is supplying components of increasing complexity and value.
Hical’s expansion is also backed by new manufacturing capacity. The company has recently launched a 60,000-square-foot aerospace facility at Devanahalli, Bengaluru, with dedicated capabilities for complex electromagnetic, electromechanical, hydraulic and control systems for commercial aircraft and Rafale programmes. The facility complements a larger aerospace-qualified facility under development in Hosur.
For India, the proposed JV is significant because it potentially pushes the domestic private sector further up the aerospace value chain—from precision components towards critical aircraft systems and assemblies. It also fits into Safran’s broader India expansion, which includes investments in engine MRO, avionics and actuation manufacturing, and other defence partnerships.
The proposed Hical-Safran venture therefore adds another layer to the Rafale industrial ecosystem in India, with the focus shifting beyond final assembly and component production towards higher-value systems manufacturing, technology absorption and integration into global aerospace supply chains.
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