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Outbyte Driver Updater FREEFix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Outbyte PC Repair FREERepair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence was named as an Indian offset partner by Dassault, the French aircraft maker; it was not the manufacturer of the Rafale aircraft India purchased. The controversy centered on whether the Indian government influenced Dassault’s choice of partner.
How the 36-aircraft deal differed from the earlier proposal
The Rafale agreement that became the subject of the controversy was not the completion of the earlier Medium Multi Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) procurement process. The Supreme Court’s 14 December 2018 judgment describes the two arrangements this way:
| Process | Aircraft and proposed arrangement | Outcome |
|---|---|---|
| Earlier MMRCA process | 126 aircraft proposed: 18 to be bought directly from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM), with 108 to be manufactured by Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) under licence. | Negotiations did not produce a final result. |
| 2016 India-France agreement | 36 Rafale aircraft in fly-away condition, under an inter-governmental agreement. | The agreement and related aircraft, weapons, technical and offset contracts were signed on 23 September 2016. |
The distinction matters because the aircraft purchase and the offset arrangements were related parts of the broader deal, but they were not the same thing: the offset partner arrangement did not make Reliance the producer of the aircraft India ordered.
What an offset partner does
An offset is a contractual flow-back mechanism intended to support Indian industry and related capabilities when a foreign company receives a defence contract. In a 22 September 2018 clarification, the Ministry of Defence described possible ways an OEM could meet offset obligations, including eligible purchases, investment in joint ventures, investment in equipment, and technology transfer.
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- QUICK SNAP-TOGETHER ASSEMBLY — No glue, no mess, no special tools required; precision-engineered interlocking parts click firmly into place so builders of all skill levels may complete the RAFALE in one focused session
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The Ministry said the applicable framework allowed a foreign OEM to choose an Indian company as an offset partner. It stated that the government had no role in Reliance Defence’s selection, describing the choice as the OEM’s commercial decision under the offset guidelines.
Why Reliance Defence became controversial
The dispute was over who influenced the choice of Indian offset partner. The Supreme Court judgment recounts press reports attributing to former French president François Hollande a claim that France had no choice and that the Indian government suggested Reliance Group. The judgment identifies that reporting as a trigger for petitions; its account of the reports is not an independent judicial finding that Hollande’s reported claim was true.
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- This plastic model requires assembly and painting Adhesives, tools, paints, etc., sold separately
- 1/48 scale unpainted plastic assembly kit
- Size when assembled: Total length 12.6 inches (318 mm), Total width 9.0 inches (227 mm)
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- Precision molds reproduce aircraft, panel lines, air-to-air/air armor, etc
The Indian government publicly denied influencing the choice. In its 22 September 2018 clarification, the Ministry of Defence said: “The Government has stated earlier and again reiterates that it had no role in the selection of Reliance Defence as the Offset partner.” That is the government’s stated position, not a neutral finding about what happened.
What the Supreme Court decided—and what that does not establish
On 14 December 2018, the Supreme Court dismissed petitions seeking an investigation into the Rafale procurement. The judgment describes the decision-making information the Court reviewed and addresses the petitioners’ concerns. That disposition should be stated narrowly: it does not establish that every public allegation was factually disproved, nor does the judgment’s account of the Hollande reports resolve the competing accounts of partner selection.
Rank #3
- This plastic model requires assembly and painting. Adhesives, tools, paints, etc., sold separately
- 1/48 scale unpainted plastic assembly kit
- Precision molds reproduce the forms, panel lines, and various weapons
- Includes 4 decals including French Navy Aircraft and masking sticker for painting canopy
What the 2.86% figure refers to
In a 20 November 2019 statement, the Ministry of Defence said the Comptroller and Auditor General’s report, presented to Parliament on 13 February 2019, found the price of the 36-aircraft package to be 2.86% below the audit-aligned price used for comparison with the MMRCA process. This is the Ministry’s description of the CAG comparison for the overall package; it is not a figure for Reliance Defence’s offset value or share.
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- Kit has six sprue with 122 parts.
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