NEW DELHI: India‘s strategic partnership with France is set to advance further with two major defense agreements nearing completion, valued at nearly Rs 1 lakh crore (Euro 10.6 billion). These deals involve the direct procurement of 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets and the construction of three additional Scorpene submarines.
Sources revealed that the Rs 63,000 crore contract for 22 single-seat Rafale-M jets and four twin-seat trainer variants for the Indian Navy is currently under review by the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS), awaiting final approval. Meanwhile, the Rs 33,500 crore deal for three additional diesel-electric Scorpene submarines, to be built by Mazagon Docks in collaboration with French Naval Group, is set to reach the CCS after inter-ministerial deliberations.
“The Rafale-M deal will be taken up after the PM’s visit to France and the US. The negotiations for the Scorpenes took longer due to initial cost disagreements with MDL,” a source explained. Both contracts are expected to be finalized before the fiscal year ends on March 31.
The government is also exploring a potential partnership between French defense giant Safran, which produces helicopter engines in India, and DRDO for the co-development of a 110-kilonewton engine for the AMCA fifth-generation fighter.
The Rafale-M jets, designed for deployment on India’s INS Vikrant, will be delivered between 37 to 65 months of signing, with all deliveries expected by 2030-31. The new Scorpenes will feature design enhancements and incorporate indigenous air-independent propulsion technology.
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