Rafale Deal: French Media Raises Questions Over Reliance Parternship

Rafale deal inked between the Indian and French governments has been frequently making headline in the home turf with the Congress-led Opposition hurling accusations of corruption against the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government. Now critical views of the secretive deal are propping up in the French media as well.

Recently, France 24- a State-owned TV network in France that caters to international audience – published a scrutinizing piece title “French Rafale jets deal sparks political storm in India” on the partnership between the makers of Rafale, Dassault, and Anil Ambani’s Reliance Group as a part of the offset clause of investing 50 percent of the 8.7 billion dollars in the Indian defence system.

The State-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL0 was expected to be the natural partner considering its 78 years’ worth experience. Instead Ambani Reliance Group which had launched a new defence company called Reliance Defence only 13 days prior to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement of the new Rafale deal, landed the partnership with the government’s approval, the France 24 report observed.

Past News: Rafel Fighter Jets From France Will Increase Indian Air Force Strength

Describing the relationship between Anil Ambani – the younger of the Ambani brothers – the article said:

While the 59-year-old billionaire businessman has had little success in the telecom sector and no experience in the aviation industry, he does have  a special affinity for India’s Hindu nationalist prime minister.

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