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 (MRFA) programme is expected to be cleared by the Defence Ministry this week, sources told NDTV on Tuesday. The anticipated approval comes days ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to New Delhi.
Once sanctioned, the agreement will become India’s largest-ever weapons procurement deal.
‘Make In India’ Push And Technology Transfer
The proposed deal includes provisions to manufacture around 100 of the 114 fighter jets in India. This would involve the transfer of advanced fighter aircraft technology and a strategic industrial partnership aimed at strengthening the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative in the defence sector.
The agreement would also reinforce India’s position as one of the largest non-French operators of the Rafale, a twin-engine, multi-role combat aircraft designed for air superiority and precision strike missions.
India’s Existing Rafale Fleet
The Indian Air Force currently operates 36 Rafale fighter jets. Delivery of the final ‘C’ variant was completed in December 2024. These aircraft are deployed with No. 17 Squadron, the Golden Arrows, at Ambala, and No. 101 Squadron, the Falcons, at Hasimara in West Bengal.
India has also placed an order for 26 naval Rafale ‘M’ variants in a separate deal valued at Rs 63,000 crore. This includes four twin-seat trainer aircraft, along with maintenance, logistics support and personnel training under a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) arrangement. NDTV reported in April last year that deliveries are expected by 2030.
The Rafale ‘M’ jets will operate from aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.
Rafale Combat Experience
The Rafale fighters in Indian service have already seen operational deployment. They were used during Operation Sindoor, India’s military response to the Pahalgam terror attack in May last year, as well as in operations in Ladakh.
Aircraft deployed during Operation Sindoor are believed to have fired SCALP air-launched cruise missiles, capable of striking hardened targets at distances exceeding 250 kilometres with high precision. The Rafale has also been deployed in several international conflicts, including in Iraq and Libya.
The platform is equipped to 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.
Production Transfer And Local Manufacturing Plans
In June last year, India and France announced four major production transfer agreements between Dassault Aviation and Tata Advanced Systems Limited. These arrangements are expected to accelerate the delivery of Rafale aircraft to Indian armed forces.
Under the agreement, Tata Advanced Systems will establish a high-end manufacturing facility in Hyderabad to produce key structural sections of the Rafale, including lateral shells of the rear fuselage, the complete rear section, the central fuselage and the front section.
The first fuselage components are scheduled to roll off the production line in 2028, with a target output of two complete fuselages per month. Final assembly of the aircraft will continue at Dassault’s facility in Mérignac, near Bordeaux.
Navy’s Future Fighter Plans
Alongside the Rafale inductions, the Indian Navy is also planning to induct indigenous fifth-generation fighter jets being developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO). These twin-engine, deck-based fighters will serve as the naval counterpart of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme being pursued for the Indian Air Force.
