Ahead of the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron, the Indian Air Force is set to present a proposal for the purchase of 114 more Rafale fighter jets before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC). The overall capability boost from the proposed 114-aircraft acquisition could cost around Rs 3.25 lakh crore.
As per the proposal, India is set to purchase 18 off-the-shelf Rafales from French manufacturer Dassault Aviation, upon the arrival of the French President, scheduled to visit India for an AI summit in New Delhi from February 15 to February 17.
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Led by the Defence Minister, Rajnath Singh, DAC is expected to accord Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to the IAF for the acquisition of 114 Rafale multi-role fighter aircraft. Under India’s defence procurement framework, AoN marks the first formal stage of approval for any major acquisition. Clearance from the Defence Procurement Board has already been secured.
Besides the 18 off-the-shelf Rafales, IAF’s 96 aircraft will be manufactured in India in collaboration with private sector partners under the ‘Make in India’ initiative, with a portion of jets planned to be twin-seater for training purposes.
India currently has over 36 jets, deployed during Operation Sindoor against Pakistan. If approved, the acquisition will significantly bolster the Indian Air Force’s combat capabilities while expanding domestic aerospace manufacturing.