India expected to purchase 114 Rafale fighter jets

In major development, the Acquisition wing of the Indian Defence Ministry has reportedly issued the Letter of Request (LoR) to France for a mega government-to-government deal of ₹3.25 lakh crore to buy Rafale fighter jets for Indian Air Force (IAF), as per reports.

The proposal also includes a provision for manufacturing most of the fighter aircraft within India. 

The Indian Air Force (IAF) and Indian Navy have already placed the orders of 62 Rafale planes which makes the total of 176 after ordering 114 Rafales. The Indian Navy has expressed that they need 31 more of these planes to tackle maritime threats which may take the number of planes to over 200, the reports cited.

Reports also suggest that the deal also recommended the manufacturing of over 90 Rafale jets in India by the French Manufacturer Dassault Aviation in partnership with an Indian Company.

However, there is no official confirmation from the French side, and a response is expected in the next two or three months. Meanwhile, Prime Minister Narendra Modi expected to visit France around mid-June, and the Rafale deal could be finalised during the meetings with French leadership.