India signed a deal with France on Monday to purchase 26 Rafale fighter jets for its navy, in a deal valued at 630 billion rupees ($7.4 billion), the Defence Ministry announced.
India will buy 22 single-seater and four twin-seater Rafale fighters, made by France’s Dassault Aviation, the ministry said, in a deal that would boost the Asian country’s defence ties with its second-largest arms supplier.
“The delivery of these aircraft would be completed by 2030, with the crew undergoing training in France and India,” the ministry said, adding that the deal is expected to generate thousands of jobs and revenue for a large number of businesses.
The purchase was approved earlier this month by India’s security cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Reuters reported.
The Multi-Billion-Dollar Deal
The deal includes Training, Simulator, Associated Equipment, Weapons and Performance-Based Logistics, according to a statement issued by the Indian government.
It also includes additional equipment for the existing Rafale fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF).
“The IGA has been signed by Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister of Armed Forces of France Mr Sebastien Lecornu,” the statement said.
The signed copies of the agreement, aircraft package supply protocol and weapons package supply protocol were exchanged by Indian and French officials in the presence of Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh at Nausena Bhawan, New Delhi, on April 28, 2025.
“In line with the Government’s thrust on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the agreement includes Transfer of Technology for integration of indigenous weapons in India,” the statement said.
It also includes setting up of production facility for Rafale Fuselage as well as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facilities for aircraft engine, sensors and weapons in India.
IAF’s Rafale Fleet
The Indian Air Force currently operates 36 Rafale fighters, while the navy’s aircraft fleet mainly comprises Russian MiG-29 jets.
India is seeking to modernise its military, reduce dependence on Russian-origin equipment, and boost domestic weapons production to supply forces deployed along two contentious borders with Pakistan and China.
The Indian Navy has flagged China’s growing presence in the Indian Ocean over the past decade, with Beijing operating dual-purpose vessels in the region and maintaining a military base in Djibouti since 2017.
It also marks another step in India’s long-standing reliance on French military hardware, including Mirage 2000 jets bought in the 1980s and Scorpene-class submarines ordered in 2005.
($1 = 84.9950 Indian rupees)
(With inputs from Reuters and IBNS)
