Thales Group

Thales is a French multinational with a multi-decade Indian footprint across defence, aerospace, identity/security and avionics. It operates two JVs in India: BEL-Thales Systems Limited (radars, forme

military-aerospaceindia-oemOperationalTier A
Country: IN

Last verified:

At a Glance

Headquarters
Paris (La Défense), France
Type
Company (listed)
Founded
1893 (as Compagnie Française Thomson-Houston; renamed Thales 2000)
India entity
null
Listed
Euronext Paris: HO
Key India role
Thales is a French multinational with a multi-decade Indian footprint across defence, aerospace, identity/security and avionics. It operates two JVs in India: BEL-Thales Systems Limited (radars, forme
indicators
[]
key specs
[]

What It Is

Thales is a French multinational with a multi-decade Indian footprint across defence, aerospace, identity/security and avionics. It operates two JVs in India: BEL-Thales Systems Limited (radars, formed 2014) and a strategic partnership with BDL for missiles. In October 2025 India signed a $468M / £350M deal with Thales UK for Starstreak/LMM (Martlet) MANPADS — the largest UK-India defence deal to date. Thales and BEL announced a MANPADS initial-supply agreement in February 2025. Thales delivers RBE2 radar components (with BEL supplying transmit-receive modules) for India's 36 Rafale fighters; has signed an 11-year avionics maintenance contract with IndiGo (Sep 2025); is developing the PHAROS fire-control radar with BEL; supplies HELIXVIEW airport scanners; and is rolling out face-as-boarding-pass at Indian airports.

Sources: [1][2][3][4][5]

Deployments & Procurement

5 documented India deployment(s)/procurement(s).

AgencyContextYearQuantity / NoteSources
Indian MoD / Indian Army (via India-UK government-to-government)$468M (£350M) Thales UK Martlet/LMM MANPADS deal — signed during Modi-Starmer summit2025undisclosed[1][2][3]
BDL (Thales-BDL partnership)Agreement on initial supply of man-portable air-defence missiles2025n/a (agreement)[1][2][3]
BEL-Thales Systems Limited (JV)JV formed 2014 for radar co-production; PHAROS fire-control radar joint development2014 onwardsn/a (JV)[1][2][3]
IndiGo (civil aviation)11-year avionics maintenance & EFB contract for 1200+ aircraft20251200+ aircraft (fleet coverage)[1][2][3]
Indian Air Force (Rafale RBE2)BEL supplies TR modules for Rafale's RBE2 radar; SFO Technologies also awarded RBE2 structures contractongoing36 Rafale aircraft[1][2][3]

Import Dependencies

Not analysed in this dossier.

Intelligence Assessment

Methodology: /research/methodology/

India footprint
Documented/5

15 sources with India-specific evidence.

Sources: [1][2][3][4]

Indigenous content
Not disclosed/5

Indigenous percentage not publicly verified.

Sources: [1][2][3]

Operational status
Operational/5

Based on latest public sources as of 2026-08-30.

Sources: [1][2][3]

Source quality
High/5

7 official, 7 credible sources.

Sources: [1][2][3]

FAQ

What is Thales's biggest India defence contract?

Thales UK's $468 million (£350 million) deal for the Lightweight Multirole Missile (LMM / Martlet) MANPADS, signed on 9 October 2025 during PM Modi's summit with UK PM Starmer, is the largest UK-India defence deal on record and Thales's largest single Indian missile order.

Sources: [1][2][3]

What joint ventures does Thales have in India?

Thales has two Indian JVs: BEL-Thales Systems Limited (BTSL, formed 2014, co-producing radars including the PHAROS fire-control radar), and a strategic partnership with Bharat Dynamics Limited (BDL) for initial supply and eventual co-production of MANPADS such as the LMM/Martlet, formalised in February 2025.

Sources: [1][2][3]

Does Thales supply components for India's Rafale fighters?

Yes. Thales is the OEM of the RBE2 AESA radar on the Dassault Rafale operated by the Indian Air Force (36 aircraft). Under Make-in-India offsets, BEL supplies transmit-receive modules to Thales for the RBE2, and Thales has also awarded SFO Technologies an RBE2 radar wired-structures contract (Dec 2025).

Sources: [1][2][3]

Sources

  1. src-01Official
    https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/worldwide/india
    Thales Group (company official)·accessed 2026-08-30

    Thales in India corporate page

  2. src-02Credible
    https://www.defensenews.com/global/asia-pacific/2025/10/09/india-to-buy-uk-made-thales-multirole-missiles-in-350-million-deal
    Defense News·2025-10-09·accessed 2026-08-30

    India to buy UK-made Thales multirole missiles in £350M deal

  3. src-03Credible
    https://www.reuters.com/business/aerospace-defense/uk-signs-468-mln-deal-supply-india-with-missiles-2025-10-09
    Reuters·2025-10-09·accessed 2026-08-30

    Confirms $468M UK-India Thales missile deal

  4. src-04Credible
    https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/india-uk-sign-468m-missile-deal-all-you-need-to-know-about-martlets-how-it-will-boost-defence/articleshow/124412109.cms
    Times of India·2025-10-09·accessed 2026-08-30

    India, UK sign $468M missile deal — Martlet/LMM details

  5. src-05Credible
    https://thedefensepost.com/2025/10/10/uk-missiles-launchers-india
    The Defense Post·2025-10-10·accessed 2026-08-30

    UK Signs $465M Deal to Supply Air Defense Missiles to India

  6. src-06Official
    https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/thales-and-bharat-dynamics-ltd-agree-initial-supply-man-portable-air
    Thales Group (company press release)·2025-02-11·accessed 2026-08-30

    Thales and BDL agree on initial supply of MANPADS

  7. src-07Official
    https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/make-india-bel-delivers-transmit/receive-modules-thales-rafale-rbe2
    Thales Group (company press release)·accessed 2026-08-30

    BEL delivers TR modules for Thales Rafale RBE2 radar

  8. src-08Official
    https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/thales-awards-sfo-technologies-rbe2-radar-wired-structures-contract
    Thales Group (company press release)·2025-12-15·accessed 2026-08-30

    Thales awards SFO Technologies RBE2 radar wired-structures contract

  9. src-09Official
    https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/thales-and-bel-thales-systems-limited-develop-pharos-fire-control-radar
    Thales Group (company press release)·accessed 2026-08-30

    Thales and BEL-Thales Systems Limited to develop PHAROS fire-control radar

  10. src-10Official
    https://www.thalesgroup.com/en/news-centre/press-releases/thales-signs-two-strategic-contracts-indias-largest-airline-indigo-11
    Thales Group (company press release)·2025-09-17·accessed 2026-08-30

    11-year avionics maintenance & EFB contract with IndiGo for 1200+ aircraft

  11. src-11Credible
    https://www.businesswireindia.com/thales-launches-helixview-a-revolutionary-airport-scanner-allowing-passenger-to-not-remove-item-from-luggage-79251.html
    BusinessWire India·2022-06-09·accessed 2026-08-30

    Thales HELIXVIEW airport scanner launch

  12. src-12Credible
    https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/soon-your-face-will-be-the-boarding-pass-at-airports-in-india-thales-4139194
    NDTV·2023-06-21·accessed 2026-08-30

    Thales face-as-boarding-pass at Indian airports

  13. src-13Indicative
    https://btsl-india.co.in
    BEL-THALES Systems Limited (JV official)·accessed 2026-08-30

    BEL-THALES Systems Limited JV official site [Domain root only; demoted to indicative per Atlas source-quality rule.]

  14. src-14Official
    https://bel-india.in/bel-thales-systems-limited
    BEL (official)·accessed 2026-08-30

    BEL-Thales Systems Limited page on BEL site

  15. src-15Credible
    https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2012-08-24/thales-indias-bel-form-joint-venture-radars
    AIN Online·2012-08-24·accessed 2026-08-30

    Background on Thales-BEL JV for radars

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