Talks on Rafale deal should have started: Parrikar

Initial discussions between the Indian and French sides over the purchase of Rafale fighter jets "should have started" already, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said here on Saturday.

Parrikar, who was addressing a press conference at the party's state headquarters, also said the current Defence Procurement Procedure was a "very cumbersome process" and that it required a bold initiative by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to seal the Rafale deal with the French government.

"On May 13, our committee was formed, which is headed by (Deputy Chief of Air staff) Air Marshal (S.B.P.) Sinha from our side and his officers. Not negotiations, from today talks should have started," Parrikar said.

He lamented that because of the current Defence Procurement Procedure, India could not buy a fighter plane for over 15 years.

"The exercise started in 2000 and could not be concluded even by 2015. For 15 years we did not buy a single plane. So we took a very bold initiative and Modi decided to buy it directly with a better price and on better terms. What they are will be revealed in a month or two," Parrikar said, adding that speeding up the process was necessary.

"We took it on a fast track. That was necessary," Parrikar said.

Prime Minister Modi during his visit to France in April signed an agreement to buy 36 Rafale fighter jets for $6 billion.