New Delhi is expected to clear a Rs 3.25 lakh crore proposal to acquire 114 French-made Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force under the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft programme later this week, sources told NDTV. The clearance is likely days before French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India.
Once approved, the agreement will become India’s largest-ever defence procurement. It will also include provisions to manufacture a significant number of the aircraft — about 100 — in India, involving the transfer of advanced fighter jet technology and a strategic partnership aligned with the government’s ‘Make in India’ push.
The deal would further cement India’s position as one of the biggest Rafale operators outside France. The twin-engine, multirole Rafale is regarded as among the world’s most capable combat aircraft, designed for air superiority and precision strike missions.
India currently operates 36 Rafales, with the last ‘C’ variant delivered in December 2024. In addition, New Delhi has ordered 26 naval Rafale ‘M’ variants in a separate Rs 63,000 crore deal for the Indian Navy.
That naval agreement includes four twin-seat trainer aircraft, along with maintenance, logistics support and personnel training under a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) framework. Delivery of the naval jets is expected by 2030. The Rafale M fighters will be deployed on aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
The Air Force’s Rafale fleet is split between No. 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows, based in Ambala, and No. 101 Squadron, the Falcons, stationed at Hasimara in West Bengal.
The Rafale platform can also carry Meteor long-range air-to-air missiles, Hammer stand-off weapons, and the Spectra electronic warfare suite, along with advanced radar and targeting systems. The aircraft has been combat-tested in multiple global conflicts, including in Iraq and Libya.
In June last year, India and France announced four major production transfer agreements between Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. These deals aim to accelerate Rafale deliveries to the Indian armed forces.
As part of the arrangement, Tata Advanced Systems is expected to establish a high-end manufacturing facility in Hyderabad to produce key structural components of the Rafale, including major fuselage sections. Production of the first fuselage segments is scheduled to begin in 2028, with a target of two complete fuselages per month. Final assembly will continue at Dassault’s facility in Merignac, near Bordeaux.
Meanwhile, the Indian Navy is also planning to induct indigenous fifth-generation fighter jets being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation. These twin-engine, deck-based fighters will serve as the naval version of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft being developed for the Air Force.
