Reliance Defence, US firm to explore ₹20,000-crore maintenance, repair market

Reliance Defence Limited and Coastal Mechanics will set up a joint venture at Nagpur to serve both Indian and export markets.

Reliance Defence Limited, promoted by Anil Ambani, on Monday announced an agreement with US firm Coastal Mechanics to jointly explore opportunities in India’s ₹20,000-crore defence maintenance, repair, overhaul (MRO) and upgrade market.

Anil Ambani. (Reuters File)

“Reliance Defence and Coastal Mechanics will focus on providing end-to-end MRO, upgrade, and lifecycle support solutions for the Indian armed forces, targeting a wide range of critical platforms such as 100+ Jaguar fighter aircraft, 100+ MiG-29 fighter aircraft, the fleet of Apache attack helicopters, L-70 air defence guns, and other legacy systems that require long-term sustainment and modernization,” the company said.

The segment represents a high-value, long-duration opportunity driven by the Indian military’s strategic shift from asset replacement to lifecycle extension and performance-based logistics, it added. The two firms will also set up a joint venture at Nagpur to serve both Indian and export markets.

The development comes days after French aircraft maker Dassault Aviation and Reliance Aerostructure Limited announced their partnership to build the Falcon 2000LXS business jets in India, outside France for the first time. The agreement to build the luxury planes at Nagpur for the global market was signed at the Paris Air Show.