Giving a major boost to India’s air power, the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, has granted initial approval for the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter aircraft.

The deal, estimated at ₹3.25 lakh crore, has come ahead of French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India starting 17 February 2026. This purchase is expected to further strengthen India-France defence relations.
Approval from the Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) will be required before signing the final agreement.
Under the approved framework, India will procure 114 Rafale aircraft, of which 18 jets will be delivered in fly-away condition and the rest will be manufactured in the country.
Under the Make in India initiative, around 90 aircraft of the fleet are expected to be built in India.

India’s Rafale fleet to reach 176 aircraft

With this agreement, India’s Rafale fleet will reach 176 aircraft, including 36 Rafales already in service with the Indian Air Force and 26 Rafale-M jets ordered by the Navy for carrier operations.
India had earlier signed a deal for 36 Rafale jets in 2016. The first five aircraft arrived at Air Force Station Ambala in July 2020 and were later officially inducted.
Currently, the IAF operates two Rafale squadrons — No. 17 “Golden Arrows” based at Ambala, Haryana, and No. 101 “Falcons” based at Hasimara, West Bengal. The Hasimara squadron was officially commissioned in July 2021.

About Rafale

It is designed by France’s Dassault Aviation company. It is a 4.5 Generation fighter aircraft.
It is powered by 2 SNECMA M88 turbofan engines, which provide 50 kN dry thrust and 75 kN with afterburner. It has supercruise (supersonic flight without afterburner) capability.
The Meteor Missile, SCALP Cruise Missile and MICA Missile System equipped in the Rafale fighter aircraft make it highly significant from a security perspective.
Rafale can fly at a speed of 2,222.6 kilometres per hour and at an altitude of up to 50,000 feet.
The fighter aircraft is approximately 15.27 metres long and can carry 9,500 kilograms of bombs and ammunition at a time.
Rafale has an excellent aerodynamic design with optimum wing loading, low drag and relaxed stability for better manoeuvrability. The delta wing configuration provides a high lift-to-drag ratio.

Rafale variants

Rafale C: Single-seat Air Force variant with 75% fleet availability, designed for high mission reliability.
Rafale B: Twin-seat variant for training and enhanced situational awareness. It retains the combat capability of the C model.
Rafale M: This naval variant is optimized for carrier operations, with reinforced nose and tail and specially designed landing gear. It equips the French Navy’s aircraft carrier, Charles de Gaulle.
Rafale N is a dedicated nuclear strike variant, while Rafale R is reserved for technology development.