India, France to sign Rs 63,000 crore deal for 26 Rafale aircraft on Monday

India and France are set to sign a Rs 63,000 crore deal for 26 Rafale Marine combat aircraft on Monday in Delhi, defence officials said.

Officials from the Indian Defence Ministry and the French Ambassador to India will represent the two sides at the signing event. Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh is likely to represent the Indian side, while the French and Indian defence ministers are expected to attend remotely, sources said.

Earlier, the French Defence Minister was scheduled to attend the signing in person but had to cancel his visit due to personal reasons.

The Cabinet Committee on Security had cleared the deal earlier this month.

The 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets are urgently required for deployment on Indian aircraft carriers, particularly INS Vikrant, which is now in service. The existing fleet of MiG-29K fighters has reportedly underperformed due to maintenance-related issues.

The Rafale M jets will be customised to meet Indian requirements and will be integrated into INS Vikrant. These carrier-borne fighters are being acquired as a stopgap solution until the development of an indigenous carrier-borne fighter jet is completed.

Sources said the signing event is likely to be held outside the Defence Ministry headquarters at South Block.

The French Minister is expected to arrive in India on Sunday evening and depart on Monday late evening, the sources added.

India had cleared its largest-ever defence deal for 26 Rafale Marine combat aircraft earlier this month on April 9 during a meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The government-to-government contract includes 22 single-seater and four twin-seater jets, along with a comprehensive package for fleet maintenance, logistical support, personnel training, and indigenous component manufacturing.

The Rafale M jets will operate from INS Vikrant and support the existing MiG-29K fleet.

The Indian Air Force already operates a fleet of 36 Rafale aircraft acquired under a separate deal signed in 2016. These aircraft are based at Ambala and Hasimara.

The new deal will raise the total number of Rafale jets in India to 62, significantly boosting the country's fleet of 4.5-generation fighter aircraft.