After numerous reports in the Indian media about alleged undue benefits granted to Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence Ltd in the Rafale deal with France, the French media has also picked up the story.
According to a report in The Quint, in an article titled ‘French Rafale Jets Deal Sparks Political Storm In India’ published on the state owned France 24, serious questions have been raised over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s relationship with Anil Ambani.
It notes that Ambani has had, “little success in the telecom sector and no experience in the aviation industry, he does have a special affinity for India’s Hindu nationalist prime minister ”
The article cites an unusual birthday greeting, “The admiration, at times, has reached disconcerting levels, such as a 2016 “birthday message” by Ambani to Modi, which hailed the Indian prime minister as a “leader of leaders” and “king of kings” who “dreams with his eyes open.””
It is also mentioned that Reliance Defence was formed only 13 days before the Rafale Deal was announced by PM Modi.
Under the UPA government’s version of the Rafale deal with France, the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. (HAL) was chosen to be the Indian partner. However, the Modi government renegotiated the deal and benefitted Anil Ambani’s Reliance defence at the cost of HAL.