Bengaluru: Defence minister Rajnath Singh with French counterpart Catherine Vautrin during the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue, in Bengaluru. (PTI Photo/Shailendra Bhojak)
NEW DELHI/BENGALURU: Union defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asked his French counterpart, Catherine Vautrin, “to raise India-made component” in the upcoming deal for 114 Rafale fighter jets to “up to 50%”, defence sources told TOI.During their 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru, Rajnath also told Vautrin to “try to ensure that engines of the (fighter) planes are made and overhauled in India. This will help our ‘Make-in-India’ effort,” one source said.The two ministers discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues, including priority areas for co-development and co-production of defence equipment. India and France also renewed their defence cooperation agreement for another 10 years, announced reciprocal deployment of army officers and inked an MoU to manufacture Hammer missiles in India. The MoU was signed for manufacturing of Hammer missiles under a JV between defence PSU Bharat Electronics Limited and French major Safran.Earlier, Rajnath and Vautrin attended the inaugural ceremony of the H125 Light Utility Helicopter final assembly line, jointly built by Tata Advanced Systems Ltd (TASL) and Airbus at Karnataka’s Vemagal, with PM Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually inaugurating the facility from Mumbai. After the facility’s inauguration, Modi said, “We take pride in the fact that, together, India and France will manufacture in India the world’s only helicopter capable of flying to the heights of Mount Everest and export it to the entire world.” The delivery of the first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected in early 2027, and the helicopter will help meet the requirements of the Indian armed forces for a light multi-role helicopter and boost army operations on the icy heights of the Himalayas. Rajnath said the total investment for the H125 project is expected to exceed Rs 1,000 crore and create direct and indirect employment.In the presence of Modi in Mumbai, Macron said, “From Rafale jets to submarines, we are expanding defence cooperation. India and France are also working together to build helicopter assembly line and fifth-gen fighter jet engines.” Macron’s remark came days after Rajnath-led Defence Acquisition Council gave the go-ahead for the purchase of 114 Rafale jets from France. The cost negotiations between the two sides for the upcoming Rafale deal will get a big push after Tuesday’s meeting between Modi and Macron, and the agreement will be signed after the Cabinet’s clearance.India may also buy additional Scorpene-class conventional submarines from France. India had already acquired six Scorpene-class submarines (Kalvari class) from France. The French defence minister appreciated the conversion of Exercise Shakti with the Army from a biennial to an annual event.
