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Why was HAL excluded from the Rafale deal? The exclusion of Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) happened due to a fundamental change in the structure of the deal after 2014. Breaking it down step by step: 1. Shift from “Buy & Make in India” to “Buy Fly-Away” •UPA-era negotiation: •126 aircraft •108 to be manufactured by HAL in India •NDA-era agreement (2016): •36 aircraft •All jets imported directly from France Once domestic manufacturing was removed, HAL’s role automatically disappeared. Source: Ministry of Defence statements & contract briefings https://t.co/Cy1LThPf5z 2. Dassault’s Responsibility Claim Used as Justification The government argued that Dassault Aviation was unwilling to take responsibility for HAL-manufactured aircraft. What was ignored: •HAL had already built over 200 fighter aircraft (Mirage-2000, Jaguar, Sukhoi-30MKI) •HAL was Dassault’s long-term licensed partner for Mirages Former HAL Chairman T. Suvarna Raju publicly stated HAL was never consulted before being removed. Source: Parliamentary Standing Committee records, media interviews https://t.co/oSYvl42PX4 3. Offset Policy Tweaked After the Deal •Original offsets favored public sector participation •New offset framework allowed private Indian firms chosen by the foreign vendor •This enabled Dassault to select Reliance Defence, a company with: •No prior aerospace manufacturing experience •Incorporated just days before the deal announcement Source: Defence Offset Guidelines, MoD https://t.co/Cy1LThPf5z 4. Strategic Consequence: Loss of Technology Transfer Removing HAL meant: •No transfer of core aerospace technology •No strengthening of India’s fighter manufacturing ecosystem •Permanent dependence on imports for upgrades and spares This contradicted repeated claims of self-reliance and Make in India. Source: CAG Report on Rafale https://t.co/1HYbfIvGqW 5. Key contradiction If HAL was “incapable”: •Why was it trusted with Sukhoi-30MKI production? •Why was it upgraded to manufacture Tejas Mk-1A later? •Why was it never officially blacklisted or penalised? The answer lies not in capability, but in policy reversal and political convenience. Bottom line HAL was excluded not because it failed, but because the deal was redesigned to exclude domestic manufacturing altogether, opening space for higher imports, weaker guarantees, and private intermediaries. Well so much for Modi’s Make In India & Atmanirbhar Bharat. #HAL #NDA #MakeInIndia #AtmanirbharBharat