France has submitted a detailed technical and commercial proposal to India for the proposed government-to-government purchase of 114 Rafale multirole fighter aircraft, marking a key milestone in one of the country’s biggest military procurement programmes. A key highlight of the proposal is the plan for large-scale local manufacturing and production of the multi-role combat aircraft in India.
The proposal, submitted in response to India’s Letter of Request (LoR) issued in May, is being examined by the Defence Ministry’s Acquisition Wing and the Indian Air Force, reported news agency ANI, citing defence sources.
The deal envisages massive local manufacturing, with 94 of the 114 jets to be produced in India in partnership with domestic industry as per New Delhi’s demand for integrating Indian weapons like the variants of the Astra air-to-air missiles and indigenous content in the aircraft.
94 Rafale multi-role combat jets to be manufactured in India
As per the proposal, the French side will be required to manufacture 94 of the 114 Rafale aircraft in India in partnership with a local industry partner.
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For the local production of aircraft, major French defence companies like aerospace major Dassault Aviation, missile manufacturer MBDA, engine maker Safran, and defence electronics company Thales will work with an Indian industry partner to execute the deal.
The Indian side will scrutinise the French offer, including the proposed plans for integrating indigenous systems like the variants of Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile and increasing domestic content in the aircraft, the sources said.
If approved, the deal is likely to generate business opportunities worth around Rs 1.6 lakh crore for Indian companies like Tata Group, Larsen & Toubro and other defence manufacturers, while significantly boosting the country’s aerospace manufacturing ecosystem.
The Rafale jets are expected to become one of the key components of the Indian Air Force’s future fleet. The aircraft was selected by the Defence Ministry in 2012 after a long and competitive global evaluation process.
No. of Rafale jets in India's inventory may go over 200
The acquisition of the Rafale aircraft is considered crucial for addressing the Indian Air Force’s operational requirements, as its squadron strength has been declining due to the retirement of ageing aircraft, including Russian-origin MiG fighter jet variants, and delays in the induction of indigenous platforms such as the LCA Mark 1A and LCA Mark 2.
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The Indian Air Force and the Indian Navy have previously placed orders for 62 Rafale aircraft. With the proposed acquisition of 114 Rafale aircraft, the total number of Rafales in India’s inventory could rise to 176.
Besides, the Indian Navy has also expressed its intent to induct 31 more of these jets to tackle maritime threats, and that may take the number of Rafales in the country to over 200.
The Defence Ministry conducted a detailed capability assessment under Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh soon after he assumed office in 2024 to address the Indian Air Force's requirements and has been working on strengthening the force’s capabilities.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) had approved the Indian Air Force’s proposal to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets around five months ago.
