Now Reading: India edges closer to buying 114 Rafale fighter jets for ₹3.25 lakh crore
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India edges closer to buying 114 Rafale fighter jets for ₹3.25 lakh crore
India edges closer to buying 114 Rafale fighter jets for ₹3.25 lakh crore
France has submitted a formal proposal to India for 114 Rafale multirole fighter jets, valued at around ₹3.25 lakh crore. The proposal is now being examined by the Defence Ministry and the…
The Story in Brief
France has submitted a formal proposal to India for 114 Rafale multirole fighter jets, valued at around ₹3.25 lakh crore. The proposal is now being examined by the Defence Ministry and the Indian Air Force. Under the plan, 94 of the jets would be manufactured in India, with 20 supplied directly from France. The IAF, currently operating 36 Rafales, faces a shortage of fighter squadrons as older aircraft are retired. Separately, the Defence Ministry has floated a ₹1 lakh crore tender for 60 multirole transport aircraft, with Tata-Lockheed Martin and Mahindra-Embraer expected to compete.
The Indian Opinion
The noise around 'import vs indigenous' misses a key point: 94 of the 114 Rafales will be built in India, not bought off the shelf. This is a huge bet on the Make in India ecosystem. Critics asking why HAL isn't building the Tejas faster have a point, but the Tejas fleet alone won't fill the squadron gap before the 2030s. The real test will be how much of the manufacturing, engines, radar, electronics, actually transfers to Indian hands, or if it's just assembly in a new shed. Watch the final contract's indigenous content clause; that number will tell if this deal builds a capability or just an assembly line.
Sources (2): english.mathrubhumi.com, thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
