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New Delhi: France is very supportive of India’s ‘Make in India’ program for defense and has captured a new methodology approach for the ongoing Rafale fighter jet deal. The development has come in the wake of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming trip to France where defence cooperation is likely to be one of the agenda items.
France hopes to offer more technology transfers and support the local manufacturing of the Rafales for India in the next deal with the Indian firm, reports said. It’s very different from the traditional defense sales model, where the majority of the weapons and planes are produced in other countries and only sold to the customer there.
India is in negotiations to upgrade their air power and is aiming to buy 114 multi-role fighter planes as part of their major defense scheme. The French Rafale is one of the top contenders for the project. The main thrust of the new proposal is likely to be on shifting the manufacturing of the aircraft products to India, thereby supporting India’s defense manufacturing capabilities.
French officials reportedly have been receptive to India producing larger chunks of the Rafale. They are also keen to use “indigenous weapons and systems in fighter planes.” This would prove to be beneficial for India both in terms of reducing dependence on foreign suppliers as well as accelerating the local defense manufacturing industry.
The move aligns with the Indian Government’s goal of giving a boost to the defense self-reliance. The Government has pushed the agenda of ‘Make in India’ so as to attract foreign firms to invest in the local manufacturing units and technology transfer with Indian companies.
Defense experts have said that the setting up of the local manufacturing of Rafale jets would bring out several hundred jobs and help Indian companies gain hands-on experience in cutting-edge aerospace technology. It would also help in expanding the country’s defense ecosystem and India’s defense manufacturing capabilities.
India and France have been building a robust strategic partnership for a long time. The Indian Air Force already has 36 fighters bought from France under the 2016 deal, under the current name Rafale. The aircraft have made a significant contribution to improving India’s air combat capacity. The most recent indications come from France, where the two countries appear to be seeking to further strengthen their defense cooperation. In case the proposed model is approved, it may be India’s biggest defense manufacturing partnership with France.
As the Indian Prime Minister settles his affairs for his visit, there is optimism that the talks between the two countries will lead to further strengthening of the partnership in the field of Defence and also aid in India’s efforts towards Self-reliance in defense production.
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