New Delhi: The Indian government has formally asked France to supply 114 Dassault Rafale fighters in a government-to-government package valued at roughly Rs 3.25 lakh crore, Defence Ministry officials told ANI.
The Acquisition Wing of the Defence Ministry issued the Letter of Request (LoR) to French authorities last week, the sources said. Under the plan, Dassault Aviation would build 94 of the jets in India alongside an Indian partner, marking the first time Rafales would be produced outside France with around 50% localisation, officials added.
The French response to the LoR or tender is expected within two to three months, and negotiators from both sides aim to finalise the agreement within about a year, the sources said. Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s anticipated trip to France in mid-June is likely to include talks on the proposed contract.
India Expands Rafale Fleet
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India is rushing to address a pressing shortfall in combat aircraft squadrons by expanding its Rafale inventory. The Indian Air Force and Navy have already ordered 62 Rafales; adding 114 would bring the total to 176. The Navy has also signalled interest in 31 additional Rafales for maritime roles, which could push the country’s total Rafale strength beyond 200.
The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) approved the Air Force’s acquisition plan more than four months ago, following a capability review conducted after Rajesh Kumar Singh took charge as Defence Secretary in 2024. Officials said the deal emphasises quick induction alongside enhanced domestic industrial participation.
Weapon Integration & Faster Induction
Defence Secretary Singh outlined key benefits when the DAC cleared the proposal: “First time ‘Make in India,’ Rafale outside France backed up by a government-to-government agreement, no intermediaries, full transparency in the project itself, G2G significant levels of localisation, and full authority to integrate Indian weapons and Indian systems are the highlights of this programme.It also enables us to induct fighter aircraft relatively quickly because the first of the Rafale Marines will start coming in ’28, and after that, over a period of time, you will see that about three-and-a-half years from now, the first of these Air Force Rafales will also start coming,” he told ANI.
Air Chief Marshal AP Singh is in France and may visit Dassault’s production facilities, the sources added.