New Delhi: India’s Defence Procurement Board (DPB) has approved a proposal to acquire 114 Rafale fighter jets from French aerospace major Dassault Aviation in a deal estimated at around ₹3.25 lakh crore, marking the largest-ever acquisition for the Indian Air Force (IAF).
The proposal was cleared by Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar and now moves to the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), the apex military procurement body chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. Final approval will be sought from the Cabinet Committee on Security, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The DPB clearance is considered the first formal step in the procurement process.
The development comes ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s two-day visit to India from February 17 to 19, during which he is scheduled to launch the India–France Year of Innovation and the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit.
The procurement is expected to be executed through an intergovernmental agreement without intermediaries. If approved, 12 to 18 aircraft will be acquired starting from 2030, while the remaining jets will be manufactured in India by Dassault Aviation in partnership with an Indian firm. Indigenous content is expected to range between 30 and 60 per cent, including Indian-made weapons, missiles and secure data links. Dassault has already set up a maintenance and repair facility in Noida, which has been operational since 2025.
The IAF currently operates 36 Rafale jets, while the Indian Navy ordered 26 carrier-based Rafale variants in April 2025, scheduled for delivery between 2029 and 2031. With the completion of the proposed deal, India’s total Rafale fleet will rise to 176 aircraft.
The acquisition comes at a time when the IAF operates around 29 to 31 fighter squadrons against an authorised strength of 42, following the retirement of older MiG aircraft, leading to a shortfall in combat capability. (Agencies)
