The Indian Air Force’s proposal to acquire 114 additional Rafale fighter jets is set to be placed before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India later this month.
Macron is scheduled to attend an AI Summit in New Delhi from February 15 to 17. The DAC is headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.
Under the proposal, 18 Rafale jets will be procured off-the-shelf from Dassault Aviation, while the remaining 96 will be manufactured in India in partnership with private sector firms. Several aircraft will be twin-seaters for training purposes.
The project, estimated at around ₹3.25 lakh crore, requires Acceptance of Necessity as the first step.
India currently operates 36 Rafales, which were deployed effectively during Operation Sindoor last year, playing a key role in strikes on terror and military targets in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir using advanced weapon systems.
