Anil D Ambani, Chairman, Reliance Group, in a letter last week to Shri Rahul Gandhi, said the Congress has been misinformed, misdirected and misled by malicious vested interests and corporate rivals on the Rafale offset exports / work share.
Some highlights from the said letter:
Anil Ambani expresses deep anguish over continued personal attacks by Shri Rahul Gandhi on him,
and terms all allegations as “baseless, ill-informed and unfortunate”
Anil Ambani explains to Shri Rahul Gandhi the role of Reliance in offset exports / work share with Dassault
Anil Ambani clarifies to Shri Rahul Gandhi that Rafale fighter jets are not being manufactured by Reliance or
the Dassault Reliance Joint Venture. All 36 planes are to be 100% manufactured in France, and
exported from France to India
Anil Ambani clarifies that not a single component worth a single rupee is to be manufactured by
Reliance for these 36 Rafale jets. The allegations relating to “lack of experience” are, thus, irrelevant
Anil Ambani, in his letter to Shri Rahul Gandhi, says: “There is no contract from the MoD to any Reliance
Group company related to 36 Rafale aircraft”
Anil Ambani says allegations of Reliance benefitting by thousands of crores is a figment of
imagination, “promoted by vested interests”. Simply put, “no contract exists with the Government of
India”
Anil Ambani says: “Our role is limited to offset exports / export obligations. More than 100 medium, small
and micro enterprises (MSMEs) will participate in this, along with public sector undertakings like
BEL and Defence Research & Development Organization (DRDO). This role strengthens Indian
manufacturing capabilities, and is in pursuance of the Offsets Policy introduced by the Congress-led
UPA Government itself from 2005 onwards”
Anil Ambani says Rahul Gandhi’s allegation that Reliance Defence was set up 10 days before the 10 April
2015 announcement in Paris by both Governments—of the intention to purchase 36 French-manufactured
Rafale jets—links factually incorrect information, and is thus irrelevant and completely false
Anil Ambani says: “The Reliance Group announced its decision to enter the defence manufacturing sector in
December 2014-January 2015, months before the intention for purchase of Rafale aircraft. In
February 2015, we informed the Indian Stock Exchanges of the companies we have incorporated”.
