Now Reading: India floats ₹1 lakh-crore transport tender, eyes 114 Rafale jets
-
01
India floats ₹1 lakh-crore transport tender, eyes 114 Rafale jets
The Defence Ministry on Wednesday issued a tender worth around ₹1 lakh crore for 60 multirole transport aircraft (MTA) for the Indian Air Force, replacing its ageing cargo fleet. Tata and Lockheed…
The Story in Brief
The Defence Ministry on Wednesday issued a tender worth around ₹1 lakh crore for 60 multirole transport aircraft (MTA) for the Indian Air Force, replacing its ageing cargo fleet. Tata and Lockheed Martin are offering the C-130J Super Hercules, while Mahindra and Embraer pitch the C-390 Millennium. About 20 aircraft will be imported, and 40 built in India with over 60% indigenous content. Separately, France has submitted a formal proposal for 114 Rafale fighter jets valued at around ₹3.25 lakh crore. Under the plan, 94 Rafales will be manufactured in India and 20 supplied directly from France, the English Mathrubhumi reports.
The Indian Opinion
These twin deals fuel a familiar narrative, ‘India buys foreign again’, but miss the point. The MTA tender demands 60% indigenous content and a local production line. The Rafale proposal has 94 of 114 jets built in India. The test is not the announcement but execution: will Dassault transfer enough technology to make the ‘Make in India’ figure real, and can the IAF absorb 60 new transport planes without delays that have plagued past projects?
Sources (3): english.mathrubhumi.com, thehindu.com, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 3 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 3 sources.
