The proposed acquisition is meant to even out depleting squadron strength of IAF fighter aircraft
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Responding to the India’s Letter of Request, France has submitted a detailed proposal for ₹3.25 lakh crore worth 114 Rafale fighter aircraft deal. The move will roll out the process of formal negotiations between the two countries for commercial and technical negotiations to acquire Rafale jets, which would include local manufacturing of 94 of the 114 multi-role combat fighters in India.The Acquisition Wing of the Ministry of Defence and Indian Air Force are together going through the French proposal as the NDA government is pushing hard to localise weapon integration, like variants of Astra air-to-air missile, with the Rafale platform.Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Paris in June, businessline had reported that the the Macron government is engaging seriously with India’s demand for access to source codes, which would allow the indigenous integration of weapons and systems. Another issue under extensive consideration is India’s push to execute the entire project under the ‘Make in India’ procurement policy, French diplomatic sources had then said.Make in India“Both the French government and French companies are committed to integrating Make in India into our defence deals, including the Rafale,” sources had stated.As per the government to government deal, for the first time 90 of the 114 Rafale jets will be produced in India, marking a significant shift from the two earlier Rafale contracts with France. When India purchased 36 Rafales for the Indian Air Force (IAF) in 2016 and another 26 marine versions last year, all aircraft were acquired in 100 per cent fly-away condition — they were built, assembled and tested entirely in France by Dassault Aviation.In May, India issued the Letter of Request (LoR) to France inviting comprehensive proposal for the Rafale jet deal for the Indian Air Force.Indian ContentDefence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh had earlier stated that Dassault Aviation had offered 40 per cent localisation during initial discussions. But, according to him, the Ministry of Defence is pushing for 50 per cent or more Indian content to boost self-reliance. For the first time, the aircraft will be manufactured outside of France and in India.The proposed acquisition is meant to even out depleting squadron strength of IAF fighter aircraft. As of now, IAF has an existing fleet of 32 squadrons against the requirement of 40 squadrons to fight a two-front war. The Rafales from the proposed deal are expected to start coming to India from 2029-30.Published on August 6, 2026
