Morning Brief: 60 Per Cent Of Rafale Manufacturing May Shift To India; Trump And Musk’s Love Affair Sours In Full Public View; India Holds Back Approvals For Chinese JVs

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60 Per Cent Of Rafale Manufacturing May Shift To India

Up to 60 per cent of the Rafale fighter jet’s manufacturing value could eventually move to India, driven by new and potential production facilities, The Economic Times has reported. Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) will produce Rafale fuselages at a dedicated facility in Hyderabad, marking the first time these parts will be made outside France.

The Hyderabad plant, developed with Dassault Aviation, will serve both Indian and global orders, with a capacity to produce 24 fuselages annually and expected deliveries starting by FY28. Other likely projects, including an engine manufacturing unit in Hyderabad and a maintenance hub near Jewar, will further boost local production. Key components such as canopies, radars, fuel tanks, and pylons are already being manufactured in India.

The move comes just weeks after India finalized a deal with Dassault for 26 Rafale M fighter jets for the Indian Navy. Combined with this order, the enhanced domestic production capabilities further strengthen Rafale's position as the frontrunner in India’s upcoming tender to acquire 114 multi-role fighter aircraft for the Air Force.

Trump And Musk’s Love Affair Sours In Full Public View

A once-unlikely alliance between US President Donald Trump and billionaire Elon Musk has spectacularly imploded, with the duo hurling insults across their respective social media platforms over Trump’s controversial tax and spending bill.

Musk, who called the bill a “disgusting abomination” for ballooning the national debt, faced Trump’s ire, with the president hinting Musk’s criticism was a tantrum over slashed electric vehicle subsidies—a claim Musk fiercely denied.

The feud escalated as Musk claimed credit for Trump’s election win, posted a poll about a new political party, and tossed out unverified jabs linking Trump to Jeffrey Epstein files, while Trump threatened to gut Musk’s government contracts on Truth Social. Tesla’s stock nosedived 14 per cent as Musk announced SpaceX would decommission its Dragon spacecraft, leaving Washington and Wall Street reeling from the billionaire brawl.

India Holds Back Approvals For Chinese Electronics JVs

Indian electronics manufacturers face delays and hurdles in securing government approval for joint ventures (JVs) with Chinese firms amid rising geopolitical tensions following China’s support for Pakistan in the recent conflict. These delays threaten to derail plans to meet the July 31 deadline for the government’s production-linked incentive (PLI) scheme for electronics components manufacturing, industry insiders said.

Chinese partners in existing and proposed JVs are cautious, concerned about government restrictions that unofficially cap Chinese equity stakes at 10 per cent, mainly for technology transfer without operational control. This has forced many Indian companies and their Chinese collaborators to reconsider or seek alternative partners, though many critical components suppliers remain Chinese. Apple’s plan to bring Chinese camera module supplier Sunny Opticals into India is also reportedly stalled.

Other Developments

Covid Cases Rising Across India

India is witnessing a fresh uptick in Covid-19 cases, with four states—Kerala (114), Karnataka (112), Delhi (105), and Bengal (106)—reporting triple-digit daily infections on Thursday. While most cases are mild and present flu-like symptoms, health experts warn that the surge poses risks to vulnerable groups such as the elderly and immunocompromised, with some hospitals already seeing admissions requiring oxygen or ICU care.

In Bengal, the current wave reached a new peak with 106 fresh cases in the last 24 hours, raising the active caseload to 538. The state had just one active case at the start of May, but cases began climbing sharply by the end of the month. Despite low testing numbers, a high positivity rate has raised concern among health officials.

Centre Links Rs 1.5 Lakh Crore Aid For State To Reform Milestones

The Centre has announced reform targets for states in mining, urban development, road safety enforcement, and land reforms, offering incentives worth Rs 1.5 lakh crore for FY26. These incentives come as 50-year interest-free loans and are tied to milestones such as operationalising mineral blocks, advancing urban planning reforms, and improving road safety through electronic enforcement.

Among the allocations, Rs 5,000 crore is earmarked for mining reforms focused on implementing minor mineral mining policies and activating auctioned blocks, while Rs 13,000 crore is dedicated to urban planning reforms. A Rs 3,000 crore incentive aims to reduce road traffic fatalities on state highways by half, encouraging technology-driven enforcement over manual methods.

Japan’s Private Moon Lander Crashes During Landing Attempt

Japan's private lunar lander, Resilience, developed by ispace, appears to have crashed during its descent to the Moon early on Friday (6 June). Communication was lost less than two minutes before the scheduled touchdown on Mare Frigoris, a flat region near the Moon's north pole. This marks ispace's second failed lunar landing attempt, following a similar crash in 2023 due to altitude miscalculations. 

The Resilience lander carried a European-built rover named Tenacious, designed for soil sample collection and water detection experiments. The mission was part of ispace's broader goal to establish a "cislunar economy".

From The States

Bihar Panel Demands More Welfare for Poor Upper Castes

The recently revived Bihar Savarna Ayog panel has urged the state government to introduce expanded welfare measures for poor upper caste families, citing fresh socio-economic data from 2023. The commission, which was dormant for several years, held its first meeting under new leadership and proposed benefits such as age relaxations for government jobs, free coaching, and hostel facilities for underprivileged upper caste students.

It highlighted that the new survey data provides a clear picture of the upper caste population’s economic condition, enabling the commission to recommend targeted support. Three subcommittees have been formed to explore these welfare options and will submit their report within a month, potentially laying the groundwork for the government to announce new schemes ahead of upcoming elections.

J&K: NIA Raids 32 Locations Linked To Pakistani Terror Groups

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) conducted searches at 32 residential locations across Kashmir on Thursday targeting hybrid terrorists and overground workers associated with Pakistan-backed terror outfits. The raids focused on members linked to groups such as The Resistance Front, United Liberation Front J&K, Mujahideen Gazwat-ul-Hind, and others affiliated with proscribed organisations including Lashkar-e-Taiba, Jaish-e-Mohammed, and Al-Badr.

NIA officials said the suspects under investigation are believed to be involved in terrorist activities like facilitating militants, handling sticky bombs and IEDs, managing funds, narcotics, and arms supply. These actions form part of an ongoing crackdown aimed at dismantling terror conspiracies designed to destabilise Jammu and Kashmir.

50,000 CRPF Troops, Drones Deployed For Amarnath Yatra Security

Nearly 50,000 CRPF personnel, along with Jammu & Kashmir Police, will secure the 38-day Amarnath Yatra this year. Enhanced security includes surveillance drones, bomb disposal squads, and canine teams deployed along the pilgrimage routes. Convoys of yatris will be escorted by troops equipped with satellite phones and jammers. Radio frequency IDs will be used to track pilgrims and vehicles, ensuring tighter security.

These measures follow the April 22 terrorist attack in Pahalgam that killed 26 people and prompted retaliatory strikes on terror bases in Pakistan. Terrorists have previously targeted the Amarnath Yatra. In 2000, 32 people — including two dozen pilgrims — were killed in an attack on the Nunwan base camp. At least 13 more pilgrims were killed by terrorists in 2001 and 11 in 2002.

You’re all caught up—until next time.