Command Post | Return Of The Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft And 'Atmanirbharta' Debate

Last Updated:January 15, 2026, 22:27 IST

Amid growing buzz India is close to taking a call on Rafale for the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft programme, there are claims that it will damage indigenous fighter ambitions

The debate around the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft programme of the Indian Air Force has once again intensified amid growing anticipation that the defence ministry is close to taking a call on Rafale for the long-pending requirement.

As this chatter grows, so do claims that the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme will damage India’s atmanirbharta initiative and derail indigenous fighter ambitions.

The MRFA is the IAF’s plan to induct 114 medium multi-role fighters to address the steep decline in squadron strength. The air force is authorised 42 fighter squadrons but is operating at only 29. Even with Tejas Mk-1A deliveries expected soon, the numbers do not add up fast enough to prevent a capability gap.

This project has a long and often misunderstood history. It began in 2007 as the Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) tender for 126 planes. After years of trials, Rafale was selected in 2012 but negotiations collapsed on cost and production terms.

To prevent a crisis in combat strength, India signed a government-to-government deal in 2016 for 36 Rafale fighter jets, which are now fully inducted and operational. These fighters, however, were never meant to be the final answer.

The larger requirement remained, which is why the programme was revived in 2018 in its current form as MRFA with 114 aircraft and a new emphasis on manufacturing in India. The ‘request for information’ (RFI) for the 114 MRFA was issued in April 2019 to global aircraft manufacturers, and multiple players, including those from the United States, Russia and France, expressed interest.

Rafale dominates today’s MRFA conversation because it is already part of the IAF’s ecosystem. Training systems, weapons, maintenance infrastructure, simulators and logistics chains are all in place.

This was subtly indicated by the air force chief only recently. Adding more Rafales will provide continuity, faster induction and lower life-cycle costs.

That is why it is seen as the frontrunner, with sources indicating that the ministry of defence (MoD) is preparing to move the file forward and an ‘acceptance of necessity’ is expected soon. But even if Rafale is the choice, MRFA is not a simple import of 114 jets. The core idea is that most of these aircraft will be built in India through an Indian partner, with localisation increasing over time.

Experts believe that integrating such complex fighters will help build the ecosystem that Tejas Mk-2 and Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) will depend on. However, with MRFA expected to run into several lakh crores of rupees, there is concern that such a financial commitment could reduce funding and urgency for indigenous programmes.

On the Tejas Mk-2 front, however, funding has already been ringfenced. The cabinet committee on security has cleared it with a dedicated budget, allowing Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) and Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) to proceed with design, prototypes and testing independent of MRFA. This means it is not meant to compete year-to-year with MRFA for capital allocations.

It is also important to separate the roles of Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) and MRFA. The two are not substitutes but complementary parts of the IAF’s force structure.

Skeptics argue that assembling fighters in India is not the same as owning their design or intellectual property. Without access to source codes, software and upgrade rights, India could remain dependent on the original manufacturer even if the jets are locally built. Supporters, however, point to contractual safeguards and the level of trust between India and France.

The fact remains that self-reliance was never about closing the door on foreign technology. It was about using such programmes to build domestic capability while keeping the armed forces strong.

India already has large Tejas Mk-1A orders in place, with confidence being placed in the programme even though deliveries have yet to begin. The Tejas Mk-2 is under development, and the fifth-generation AMCA has been cleared at the highest level.

But all of these will reach operational maturity only in the mid-2030s. The IAF cannot afford to let its fighter strength decline while waiting for that future.

The real choice is not between indigenous fighters and MRFA. It is between managing the transition smartly or risking a serious capability gap.

While numbers can still be calibrated, the decisions are being taken at the highest levels, weighing both operational needs and industrial goals. How the story unfolds from here will shape India’s air power for decades.

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