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The Defence Procurement Board (DPB), chaired by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, has given initial approval for the acquisition of 114 Rafale fighter jets from France’s Dassault Aviation, highly placed sources said.
The proposal will now go before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, for the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN), the formal first step in the procurement process. Final approval is expected later this year from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, sources added.
India and France are aiming to take forward the deal in February, when Modi is expected to meet French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the AI Summit in New Delhi.
The move follows a formal proposal submitted by the Indian Air Force to the Ministry of Defence in September last year, seeking 114 additional Rafale jets as part of its plan to shore up a shrinking fighter fleet.
According to preliminary contours of the deal, the aircraft will be procured under a ‘Make in India’ framework, with Dassault partnering with an Indian firm for manufacturing.
Dassault Aviation increased its stake in Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) from 49 per cent to 51 per cent, making it a majority-owned subsidiary. DRAL is a joint venture with Anil Ambani-led Reliance Infrastructure.
Under the proposed arrangement, Dassault will integrate Indian weapons, missiles and ammunition on all 114 jets and provide secure data links to enable digital integration with Indian radars and sensors, allowing real-time transmission of imagery to ground-based controllers.
The French company is also expected to transfer technology for airframe manufacturing, with key suppliers such as Safran (engines) and Thales (avionics) participating in the process. Officials estimate indigenous content could rise to 55–60 per cent once ToT for airframes, engines and avionics is completed, else it would be around 30 per cent.
Link to DRDO–Safran Engine Project
In December, BharatShakti was first to report that DRDO was in advanced discussions with Safran to jointly develop a new jet engine primarily for the second tranche of India’s Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) programme, which is linked to Rafale procurement. The project is expected to involve over $7 billion in investment over 7–8 years, with India retaining intellectual property rights.
Safran emerged as the preferred partner over General Electric and Rolls-Royce after prolonged negotiations, though both rivals are still lobbying for the project.
The push for 114 additional Rafales is tied to the IAF’s need to arrest its declining squadron strength. The force inducted 36 Rafales under a 2016 deal and has expressed satisfaction with their performance.
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Last year, the Indian Navy also ordered 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for deployment on INS Vikrant.
Dassault, which has already partnered with Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) to manufacture Rafale fuselages in India, is expected to set up either a joint venture or a wholly owned subsidiary to establish a final assembly line for the new jets.
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Talks between Dassault and the Ministry of Defence on the level of indigenisation remain ongoing, alongside inter-ministerial consultations within the government, sources said.
Ravi Shankar
Dr Ravi Shankar has over two decades of experience in communications, print journalism, electronic media, documentary film making and new media.
He makes regular appearances on national television news channels as a commentator and analyst on current and political affairs. Apart from being an acknowledged Journalist, he has been a passionate newsroom manager bringing a wide range of journalistic experience from past associations with India’s leading media conglomerates (Times of India group and India Today group) and had led global news-gathering operations at world’s biggest multimedia news agency- ANI-Reuters. He has covered Parliament extensively over the past several years. Widely traveled, he has covered several summits as part of media delegation accompanying the Indian President, Vice President, Prime Minister, External Affairs Minister and Finance Minister across Asia, Africa and Europe.
