India has taken a major step towards one of its biggest-ever defence acquisitions by finalising a Letter of Request (LoR) to France for the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter aircraft for the Indian Air Force (IAF), sources said.
The LoR is expected to be formally sent to the French government within the next few weeks, paving the way for negotiations on a deal that could significantly deepen the strategic and industrial defence partnership between New Delhi and Paris.
Under the proposed plan, nearly 90 of the 114 Rafale jets are expected to be manufactured in India through a partnership between Dassault Aviation and an Indian firm, while the remaining aircraft would be supplied in fly-away condition.
The move marks a major push towards indigenous defence manufacturing under the government’s “Make in India” initiative and signals a shift from conventional arms purchases towards co-production and long-term industrial collaboration.
Sources said India has also pressed France to expand the role of Indian companies in the Rafale production ecosystem, with New Delhi seeking up to 50 per cent indigenous content in the proposed fighter jets.
Once France responds to the Letter of Request with details related to pricing, availability and logistical support, India is expected to issue a formal Request for Proposal (RFP), following which commercial and technical negotiations will begin.
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The procurement proposal has already received clearance from the Defence Acquisition Council. The final agreement, however, will require approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security before the contract can be signed.
The Indian Air Force currently operates 36 Rafale fighter jets, while the Indian Navy is preparing to induct 26 Rafale-M aircraft for carrier-based operations. Defence officials believe the acquisition of additional Rafale jets would help reduce maintenance, logistics and training costs due to the existing operational ecosystem.
The expanded Rafale programme has emerged as a frontrunner in the IAF’s requirement for 114 next-generation multirole fighter aircraft at a time when the force is grappling with a shrinking squadron strength and the need to rapidly modernise its combat fleet.
Officials said future India-France defence cooperation is increasingly being shaped around co-design, co-development and joint manufacturing, including in areas such as combat aircraft engines and advanced aerospace technologies.
If finalised, the Rafale deal would rank among India’s largest defence contracts and underline the growing strategic convergence between India and France amid shifting geopolitical and security dynamics.
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