Rafale fighter jets negotiations between India and France

Fahad Redha

January 13, 2026
3 min read

Rafale fighter jets negotiations between India and France

India and France are negotiating a possible order for up to 114 Dassault Rafale fighter jets for the former’s air force. According to the Economic Times, the two countries are finalising negotiations for the order with discussions taking place ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s planned visit to India in February.

While the final numbers of the Rafale fighter jets remain under discussion, the deal is connected to India’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme which would see 114 new 4.5 generation fighter planes for its air force, replacing the aging MiG-21, MiG-27, Jaguar, and Mirage 2000. The Indian Air Force has made a formal proposal for the Rafale fighter jets via a direct government-to-government route.

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Indian media reports that a key feature of the proposal is an emphasis on domestic manufacturing, with Indian firm Tata Advanced Systems Limited having already signed deals with Dassault Aviation to manufacture the Rafale’s fuselage sections in India, supported by a dedicated production facility being constructed in Hyderabad.

The factory is designed to manufacture four major fuselage sections, both for India and global orders for the plane, connecting India to the wider supply chain for the Rafale fighter jets. It is expected to begin delivering the fuselages by 2028 and plans to have a capacity of up to 24 per year.

The Dassault Rafale was first unveiled by France in the 1980s to replace various fighter planes, including the Mirage F1, Jaguar, and Super Étendard, by offering a multirole platform for both the air force and navy. Unlike other aircraft developed by multinational deals, the Rafale was designed, funded, and built under full French control, allowing the country to avoid any export restrictions and maintain complete sovereignty over its software, weapons integration, and any upgrades.

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