The big deal to buy 114 Rafale fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force may get approval from the Defense Ministry this week. This decision can be taken just before the visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Delhi. If this deal is passed, it will prove to be the biggest deal in the history of India, the total cost of which is estimated to be around Rs 3.25 lakh crore.

This deal is being done under the Multi Role Fighter Aircraft Plan of the Indian Air Force and its purpose is to strengthen the decreasing squadron number of the Air Force. Through this deal, India will not only acquire state-of-the-art fighter aircraft, but the capacity to manufacture fighter jets in the country will also increase manifold.

Make in India will get a big boost

In the report of NDTV, it has been said that this deal will be done this week. The most important condition of this deal is that about 100 Rafale fighter planes will be manufactured in India only. Under this, France will transfer high level fighter jet technology to India and a long-term strategic partnership will be formed between the two countries. This will greatly strengthen the ‘Make in India’ program and India will take a big step towards self-reliance in the field of defense production.

After the deal, India will become the largest operator of Rafale outside France. Rafale is a twin engine multi-role fighter jet, which is counted among the deadliest fighter planes in the world. It is considered adept in both air superiority and precision strike.

Rafale is already present in the Indian Air Force

India has already included 36 Rafale fighter jets in its fleet. The Air Force received the last ‘C’ variant of Rafale in December 2024. Apart from this, India has also purchased 26 Rafale Marine i.e. ‘M’ versions for the Navy, whose deal is worth about Rs 63 thousand crores.

This naval deal also includes four twin-seat trainer aircraft, maintenance and logistics support, as well as training of pilots and technical staff. According to reports, the delivery of these aircraft is expected to be completed by 2030. Rafale Marine aircraft will be deployed on INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya aircraft carriers.

Rafale’s strength shown in Operation Sindoor

Rafale fighter aircraft of the Indian Air Force have already proved their strength in real war-like situations. Rafale aircraft were deployed during Operation Sindoor, conducted after the Pahalgam terrorist attack in May 2025. Apart from this, Rafale was also strategically deployed in Ladakh region. There has been talk of using SCALP cruise missile from Rafale aircraft during Operation Sindoor. This air launched missile is capable of targeting strong targets at a distance of more than 250 kilometers with great accuracy.

Why are Rafale’s weapons and technology special?

The Rafale fighter jet is equipped with long-range Meteor air-to-air missile, Hammer Stand Off Strike Weapon and Spectra Advanced Electronic Warfare System. Along with this, it is equipped with state-of-the-art radar and targeting systems, which make it very effective for modern warfare.