Rafale reloaded: India makes ₹3.25 lakh cr bet on 114 French fighter jets to boost defence muscle

The Rafale is back at the centre of India’s defence plans, with the government clearing a Rs 3.25 lakh crore proposal on Thursday to induct 114 additional fighter jets into the Indian Air Force (IAF), marking one of the largest defence procurement decisions in recent years.The clearance was granted by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, which accorded Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) to the programme. The proposal had earlier been approved by the Defence Procurement Board, enabling it to move into the next phase of detailed technical and commercial negotiations. Under the approved framework, India will procure 114 Rafale aircraft, with 18 jets to be delivered in fly-away condition and the remaining to be manufactured domestically. About 90 aircrafts of the fleet is expected to be built in India under the Make in India initiative.The agreement would raise India’s Rafale fleet to 176 aircraft, including the 36 Rafales already in service with the Indian Air Force and the 26 Rafale-M jets ordered by the Navy for carrier operations.

The deal is expected to significantly bolster India’s fighter capabilities at a time when the IAF operates around 30 squadrons, well below its authorised strength of 42, amid ongoing security challenges along both the western and northern fronts.