About Us Contact us Kannada

New Delhi: The Indian government is the one that suggested Anil Ambani’s Reliance Defence as a service provider for the Rafale deal, former French president Francois Hollande has said in remarks made to Mediapart, a Paris-based investigative news website.

If Hollande’s statements are correct, it would sharply contradict the line taken by the Modi government over the 36-aircraft contract.

Senior government officials have maintained that the process of choosing Reliance Defence as an offset partner for the Rafale deal was a purely commercial decision that was driven by Dassault Aviation.

In a statement put out on Friday evening, the defence ministry said that the Mediarpart report was “being verified” and that “it is reiterated that neither GoI nor French Govt had any say in the commercial decision”.

Mediapart, which published its story on Friday on the Rafale controversy, asks Hollande about the arrangement between Dassault Aviation and Reliance.

Hollande was the French president when the intergovernmental agreement between France and India for 36 aircraft was announced by Modi in April 2015. While the story is behind a paywall in French, The Wire accessed, translated and is publishing the relevant parts below.

The interviewer asks Hollande: “How and by whom was the latter [Reliance] selected? (Comment et par qui ce dernier a-t-il été sélectionné?)”

The former president replies: “We didn’t have a word to say about that subject. The Indian government suggested this service provider and Dassault negotiated with Ambani. We didn’t have a choice, we picked the interlocutor (/contact person) which was selected for us. This is why, moreover, this group had no interest in granting me any special privileges (or thanks)”. [Emphasis added by The Wire].

The French version is:

Nous n’avions pas notre mot à dire à ce sujet. C’est le gouvernement indien qui a proposé ce groupe de service, et Dassault qui a négocié avec Ambani. Nous n’avons pas eu le choix, nous avons pris l’interlocuteur qui nous a été donné. C’est pourquoi, par ailleurs, ce groupe n’avait pas à me faire quelque grâce de quoi que ce soit. Je ne pouvais même pas imaginer qu’il y avait un quelconque lien avec un film de Julie Gayet .

One persistent strain of criticism in the Rafale controversy, over the last few months, has been the inclusion of Reliance Defence — which at the time of its selection as an offset partner was a fledgling company, having been incorporated just a little before the defence contract was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in April 2015. Opposition parties like the Congress in particular have used this point to raise allegations of crony capitalism.

The decision to go with a smaller purchase and the selection of Anil Ambani’s Reliance, presumably by Dassault Aviation, has also sparked criticism because its inclusion came with the dropping of Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) as a co-production partner for a larger 126-jet deal.

The Modi government has staunchly maintained that it had nothing to do with Dassault Aviation choosing Reliance. A month ago, finance minister Arun Jaitley specifically laid this out, noting that under the offset policy, any original equipment manufacturer can “select any number of Indian partners”.

“This has nothing to do with the Government of India and, therefore, any private industry having benefitted from the Government of India is a complete lie. Can Shri Gandhi and his Party deny this?” Jaitley said.

For her part, defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman has maintained that she doesn’t officially know who Dassault Aviation’s offset partner is. “I have not got to know who is Dassault’s offset partner… It is a commercial decision. There are laid down procedure to check the process of fulfilment of offset obligations. Neither I can accept, nor I can suggest, nor I can reject anybody from going with anybody,” she said last week.

Hollande’s new remarks, therefore, cast a shadow of doubt on this defence.

The Wire has asked Reliance Defence, Dassault Aviation and the French embassy in New Delhi for their comments and this story will be updated if and when a response is received.

Courtesy: thewire.in

Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.

Comments

New Delhi: A Noida-based private University, Galgotias has come under severe criticism after allegedly showcasing a china-made robotic dog at the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi.

Social media users accused the university of purchasing a commercial robot from China and presenting it as its own creation at the summit.

Reports claimed that the university showcased the Unitree Go2 robotic dog, an AI-powered device available on Chinese platforms for Rs 2–3 lakh, under the name “Orion” during the event in New Delhi.

“So Galgotia university purchased a commercially available robot worth Rs 2.5 lakhs, called it their own and passed it off in the Delhi AI Summit as a part of their 350 crore AI ecosystem..I literally have no words left,” wrote ‘X’ user Roshan Rai, sharing a video in which a DD News reporter interviewed a university official about the robotic dog.

The viral post claimed that the robot closely resembles Unitree Go2, a quadruped robotic dog developed by Chinese company Unitree Robotics.

Screenshots attached to the post compared the robot displayed at the summit with the Unitree Go2 listing, priced at roughly 2,800 dollars (around Rs 2.3–2.5 lakhs).

According Unitree Robotics, The Unitree Go2 is widely used as a programmable quadruped robot for research, education, inspection, and development purposes, and is a common learning platform in universities and robotics labs worldwide.

Several users reiterated the claim.

Government of India funds for filing patents

Meanwhile, concerns were raised about alleged misuse of government funds.

User @sky_phd highlighted, “Galgotias University is once again in the spotlight. Under the guise of research and innovation, they are raking in plenty of money.”

The user claimed that the university took money under government funds, and wrote, “The Government of India provides incentive funding of up to five lakh rupees for filing patents.”

“To understand the patent filing process and the games being played with it, take a look at the list of top Indian institutions filing patents. All the Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) together file only 803 patents, while institutions like Lovely Professional University, Jain Deemed-to-be University, Galgotias University, and Teerthanker Mahaveer University have filed more than a thousand patents each,” the user wrote, sharing a chart of patent filings by these universities.

“The basic international patent filing fee is $285–400. Through patent filings alone, these institutions are reportedly earning more than fifty crore rupees annually. However, while these universities file patents, they often do not pursue them further, and most patents ultimately do not get granted. This inflates filing numbers but does not reflect real innovation or recognized intellectual property,” the user added.

Another user pointed out about the selection criteria of the summit. The user questioned, “What exactly was the selection criteria for participation in this AI summit? .”

“Platforms meant to showcase India’s innovation should represent genuine research, original ideas, and credible institutions. So how did Galgotias University qualify to display a Chinese-made robot and present it as its own “innovation”? If true, this isn’t just embarrassing, it undermines the credibility of the entire summit and of India’s growing tech ecosystem. At a time when India is trying to position itself as a global AI and deep-tech leader, showcasing repackaged imports as indigenous innovation only damages trust. If we want the world to take India’s AI ambitions seriously, transparency and authenticity must come first,” the user added.

 

University clarifies after backlash

In response to the criticism, Galgotias University issued a clarification, stating that it “never claimed to have built the device” and that the robot was procured from a Chinese manufacturer for academic purposes.

“Let us be clear, Galgotias has not built this robodog, nor have we claimed to do so. What we are building are minds that will soon design, engineer, and manufacture such technologies in Bharat," the university said.

The university in its statement also pointed out that the Unitree Go2 is being used as a learning tool for students.

“From the US to China and Singapore, we bring advanced technologies to campus because exposure creates vision, and vision creates creators. The robodog is actively being used by students to test capabilities and explore real-world applications,” the university added.

University professor claims “it's developed by the Center of Excellence at the Galgotias University.”

In another video captured by DD News, a reporter showcased the Galgotias University pavilion at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.

At the pavilion, the reporter spoke with the university professor about the technology on display.

The professor introduced the robot, saying, “This is Orion. You need to meet Orion. It has been developed by the Center of Excellence at Galgotias University.”

She added, “I would also like to brief you about Galgotias University. We are the first private university investing more than Rs 350 crore in artificial intelligence and have a dedicated data science and AI lab on campus.”

“Orion has been developed by our Center of Excellence. It can take all shapes and sizes and is quite playful. It can perform small tasks such as surveillance and monitoring. It can even execute movements like moonwalks and somersaults,” she explained.

She also claimed that, “This is India’s first iOS lab in North India at a university, giving our students hands-on experience with cutting-edge technology.”

Reacting to the video social media users ridiculed the 350 cr rupees investment compared to the china made robo dog.

Past Controversies of the University

This is not the first time the university is in controversy. In May 2024, during the Lok Sabha elections, a video went viral showing students protesting outside the Congress headquarters in New Delhi against the party’s manifesto. The footage, captured by Aaj Tak, showed students struggling to articulate the purpose of their protest, raising questions about the demonstration’s intent.

Earlier, in 2017, students protested against the university management after being barred from appearing in exams due to low attendance, with allegations that fines were requested to allow attendance, a claim denied by the administration.

All Stories

Motorist dies after falling into roadside pit in Kerala's Thodupuzha; Minister orders probe
Motorist dies after falling into roadside pit in Kerala's Thodupuzha; Minister orders probe

A 27-year-old man died after allegedly falling into an open roadside pit near Thodupuzha in Idukki district, police said on Tuesday. 
Telangana: Man sets woman on fire for 'rejecting' marriage proposal
Telangana: Man sets woman on fire for 'rejecting' marriage proposal

A 28-year-old married woman was set on fire allegedly by a man after she "rejected" his marriage proposal in Mahabubabad town on Tuesday, police said.
Hassan: Two young men die in two-wheeler head-on collision in Channarayapatna
Hassan: Two young men die in two-wheeler head-on collision in Channarayapatna

Two young men reportedly died in a head-on collision between a scooter and a bike near the Doderi guard gate in Channarayapatna taluk of the district on Tuesday.

Copyright © 2026. Vartha Bharati. All rights reserved