Thales awards SFO Technologies contract for Rafale radar systems under Make in India

Bengaluru, December 16: Thales has awarded SFO Technologies a contract to manufacture high-value, technologically advanced wired structures for the RBE2 AESA radar of the Rafale fighter aircraft, marking a significant milestone in India’s defence localisation efforts under the Make in India initiative.

The contract represents the first major order for complex wired structures for the Rafale programme to be produced in India. These critical components are designed to operate under harsh environmental conditions and form an integral part of the RBE2 active electronically scanned array radar supplied to the Indian armed forces.

Thales said the order strengthens its long-term partnership with SFO Technologies and expands India’s indigenous defence manufacturing capabilities beyond precision machining and wiring into complex systems integration. The move aligns with Thales’ broader localisation roadmap following the order for 26 Rafale aircraft for the Indian Navy.

The partnership will enable local manufacturing of critical Rafale sub-systems, supporting India’s strategic objective of self-reliance in defence production. Through this collaboration, SFO Technologies will contribute expertise spanning precision machining, assembly and wiring, electronics, microelectronics and advanced systems integration.

“This partnership with SFO Technologies reflects our steadfast commitment to the Make in India initiative,” said Philippe Knoche, Senior Executive Vice President for operations and performance at Thales. He said decades of collaboration with Indian partners have helped build indigenous capabilities and world-class expertise within the domestic defence ecosystem.

N. Jehangir, Chairman and Managing Director of SFO Technologies, said the company was honoured by Thales’ continued trust. “We are proud to contribute to the production of equipment for the Rafale programme in India. Quality and punctuality will remain our priorities as we deploy new expertise within the Indian ecosystem,” he said.

SFO Technologies, part of the NeST Group, operates 22 factories globally and employs over 8,000 people. Headquartered in Kochi, the company provides end-to-end solutions for mission-critical equipment across defence, aerospace, space, healthcare and industrial sectors.

Thales, which has been present in India since 1953, employs over 2,300 people in the country across defence, aerospace and cyber and digital domains. The company operates engineering competence centres in Noida and Bengaluru and an avionics maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in Gurugram.

The company said the contract underscores growing confidence in India’s defence manufacturing ecosystem and reinforces the country’s role as a production hub for advanced aerospace and radar technologies.