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New Delhi: India is set to take a major step towards finalising a massive defence acquisition as the Defence Ministry prepares to discuss a proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets from France at a high-level meeting scheduled later this week. The deal, estimated at around Rs 3.25 lakh crore, could become the largest defence purchase in India’s history.
According to defence sources, the aircraft will be manufactured in India under a government-to-government framework, with a portion of the fleet to be delivered directly in fly-away condition to meet the Indian Air Force’s immediate operational needs.
Under the proposal, around 12 to 18 Rafale jets would be acquired in fly-away condition, while the remaining aircraft would be produced in India with an indigenous content of about 30 per cent. This is lower than the usual 50–60 per cent local content benchmark prescribed under Make in India norms.
India is also seeking the integration of indigenous weapons and systems on the French-origin aircraft. However, defence sources said the source codes will remain with France, even as limited integration permissions are expected under the deal.
The move comes despite offers from the United States and Russia, which have pitched their fifth-generation fighters, the F-35 and Su-57, to the Indian Air Force.
Officials say India’s preference for Rafale has been strengthened by the aircraft’s recent operational performance. During Operation Sindoor, Rafale jets reportedly performed strongly against Pakistan, successfully countering Chinese-origin PL-15 air-to-air missiles using the aircraft’s advanced Spectra electronic warfare suite.
If approved, the deal would raise India’s Rafale fleet to 176 aircraft. The Indian Air Force already operates 36 Rafales, while the Indian Navy placed an order for 26 naval variants last year.
The proposal is known as the Statement of Case (SoC). It was prepared by the IAF and submitted to the Defence Ministry several months ago. Once cleared by the ministry, it will require final approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS).
As part of the broader industrial package, France plans to establish a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility for the Rafale’s M-88 engines in Hyderabad. Dassault Aviation has already set up an Indian entity to support maintenance of French-origin fighter aircraft.
Indian aerospace companies, including Tata Group, are expected to play a role in local manufacturing and supply chains linked to the programme.
India’s push to accelerate the Rafale deal is driven by an urgent need to bolster fighter squadron strength amid rising regional security challenges. The IAF’s future combat fleet is expected to revolve around Indian Air Force platforms such as the Su-30 MKI, Rafale, and indigenous fighter programmes.
India has already ordered 180 LCA Tejas Mk-1A jets and plans to induct an indigenous fifth-generation fighter aircraft in large numbers after 2035, but officials say immediate gaps must be filled to maintain operational readiness.
If the Rafale proposal is cleared this week, it would mark a decisive step in reshaping India’s air power for the next two decades.
