India moves closer to mega Rafale fighter jet deal, finalises request letter

India has finalised the Letter of Request (LoR) for the acquisition of 114 Rafale fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force and is expected to send it to France within the next few weeks, sources said.

Under the proposed deal, nearly 90 of the 114 fighter jets are planned to be manufactured in India through a partnership between French aerospace company Dassault Aviation and an Indian firm. The remaining aircraft are expected to be delivered in fly-away condition.

Sources told India Today TV that once France responds to the LoR, India will move ahead with issuing the formal Request for Proposal (RFP) for the procurement.

The LoR is a formal government-to-government communication used to initiate defence procurement under the Foreign Military Sales (FMS) or Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) framework.

The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has already cleared the procurement proposal for the Indian Air Force. After the LoR is sent, France is expected to respond with details related to pricing, availability and logistical support, following which negotiations between the two sides will begin.

The final contract will require approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) before it can be signed.

The Indian Air Force already has 36 Rafale fighter jets in service, while the Navy is preparing to induct 26 Rafale M aircraft for carrier-based operations in the coming years. Acquiring more Rafales is also expected to reduce logistics, maintenance and training expenses due to the existing operational ecosystem.

Meanwhile, New Delhi has also pressed the French side to expand the role of Indian companies in the Rafale production ecosystem, seeking up to 50 per cent indigenous content in the fighter jets proposed for India. The demand is expected to feature in Dassault Aviation's bid for the Indian Air Force's planned procurement of 114 multirole fighter aircraft.

The focus on domestic manufacturing is in line with India's broader Make in India initiative as well as France's push for strategic autonomy, both of which are emerging as key pillars of the growing industrial partnership between the two countries.

Officials said future defence collaborations, including fighter aircraft production and combat engine development, are expected to be driven by co-design and co-production models.

The Defence Acquisition Council's clearance for the procurement of 114 next-generation multirole fighter aircraft has accelerated discussions, with the expanded Rafale programme emerging as a leading contender. If the deal goes through, it would become one of India's biggest defence acquisitions and signal a transition from a traditional buyer-seller arrangement to a long-term industrial partnership centred on joint design, development and manufacturing.

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