French Rafale Purchase Clears First Step as Indian Defence Panel Approves IAF Proposal
File photo. Credit: RNA Media
India has taken the first step to buy 114 more Rafale fighter jets from France, as a defence panel headed by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on Friday (January 16, 2026) cleared an Air Force proposal in this regard.
Defence officials said the development, significant for the sheer size of the prospective deal worth over Rs 3 lakh crore, is pushing the Indian Air Force (IAF) proposal to the Defence Minister Rajnath Singh-headed Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) next.
DAC is the highest procurement-related decision-making body in the Indian Defence Ministry. But post DAC clearance, the contract would have to be approved by Prime Minister Narendra Modi-chaired Cabinet Committee on Security later.
Defence officials indicated that the contract could get a serious thrust when French President Emmanuel Macron visits India next month to meet with Modi, when the Rafales from Dassault Aviation could be signed, or at least announced formally.
India has already inducted 36 Rafales into the IAF and the Indian Navy has signed up for 26 marine variants last year. The additional of the 114 Rafales could take the total Rafale fleet in the Indian armed forces up to 176 jets.
The IAF had put up its proposal to the Defence Ministry for the 114 Rafales in September 2025, after a process of considering other offerings from American Boeing, Swedish Saab, and Russian UAC, all of which had been previously evaluated during the 2007 tender for what was called the MMRCA contract. India canceled the tender under Modi’s leadership in 2015 and signed a limited deal for 36 jets in 2016.
In anticipation of the 114-jet contract, Dassault Aviation has already announced a Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility in Noida in Uttar Pradesh, apart from performing its liabilities through a partnership with an Indian company for the assembly of the jets in India under the new deal.
The contract could stipulate that Dassault Aviation should allow for 30 percent indigenisation of the aircraft and increase the local content in the jets gradually over the contract implementation period. It is estimated that up to 80 percent of the contacted jets—nearly 100 of them—would be made in India.
