France has made a major push to deepen its defence partnership with India by offering to manufacture 94 of the proposed 114 Rafale fighter aircraft in India under a government-to-government deal estimated at ₹3.25 lakh crore. The proposal, submitted by French defence officials in response to India’s Letter of Request, is currently being examined by the Ministry of Defence and the Indian Air Force. A key highlight of the offer is the large-scale transfer of manufacturing to India, which aligns with the country’s “Make in India” initiative.
Under the French proposal, only 20 aircraft would be supplied directly from France. The remaining 94 Rafale jets would be manufactured in India in partnership with domestic defence companies. French firms, including Dassault Aviation, Safran, Thales and MBDA, are expected to collaborate with the Indian industry, creating a robust aerospace manufacturing ecosystem within India. The project is also expected to generate business opportunities worth nearly ₹1.6 lakh crore for Indian companies involved in production, components, maintenance, and supply chains related to the fighter jets.
India is also expected to seek extensive technology transfer and greater indigenous content in the aircraft. The Indian Air Force has also insisted on integrating indigenous weapons such as the Astra beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile and other Indian-made systems into the Rafale platform. The government is currently evaluating the commercial and technical aspects of the proposal before entering the final phase of negotiations.
The proposed agreement builds upon the success of the earlier Rafale acquisition. In 2016, India signed an intergovernmental agreement with France to procure 36 Rafale fighter jets for around €7.87 billion (approximately ₹59,000 crore at the time). The aircraft were delivered between 2020 and 2022 and are currently deployed with the Indian Air Force’s 17 Squadron “Golden Arrows” at Ambala and 101 Squadron “Falcons” at Hasimara. The Rafales have significantly enhanced India’s air combat capabilities with advanced radar, electronic warfare systems, long-range Meteor missiles and SCALP cruise missiles.
If finalised, the new 114-aircraft program would become India’s largest-ever fighter aircraft acquisition and one of its biggest defence contracts. Beyond strengthening the Indian Air Force, the deal would mark a significant leap in India’s domestic aerospace manufacturing capability, reducing dependence on imports while strengthening the long-standing strategic partnership between India and France.
