NEW DELHI: India on Thursday cleared a proposal to purchase defence equipment worth about $39 billion, including French-made Rafale fighter jets, days ahead of a planned visit by French President Emmanuel Macron.
A source in India’s defence ministry, cited by AFP, said the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of 114 Rafale jets.
The council, which comprises the defence minister and senior military officials, must clear all major military purchases before contracts are finalised.
India’s defence ministry did not specify the number of aircraft in its official statement.
The ministry said the procurement “will enhance the capability of undertaking air dominance roles across the spectrum of conflict and significantly boost the deterrence capabilities of the Indian Air Force with long-range offensive strikes”.
Expanding Rafale fleet
The new approval would expand India’s Rafale fleet.
Since 2015, New Delhi has signed deals worth about $8.7 billion for 36 Rafale jets. In April, India announced another multi-billion-dollar agreement to buy 26 more aircraft.
The latest clearance marks an initial step in what is expected to be a lengthy acquisition process.
Macron is due to visit India on February 17, with defence cooperation likely to feature prominently in talks between the two sides.
Diversifying suppliers
India has sought in recent years to reduce its reliance on Russia, its traditional main supplier of military hardware.
New Delhi has increased defence imports from the United States, France and Israel to diversify suppliers.
India is one of the world’s largest arms importers.
Rafale jets lost in May conflict
The clearance comes months after a brief but intense military confrontation between India and Pakistan in May.
In May 2025, Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif said the Pakistan Air Force had shot down six Indian fighter jets, including four Rafales, during hostilities that began on the night of May 6–7.
Pakistan’s military spokesperson, Ahmed Sharif Chaudhry, said at the time that the aircraft were downed inside Indian territory.
India has not officially confirmed Pakistan’s claims regarding the downing of Rafale jets. However, New Delhi has acknowledged that it suffered aircraft losses during the clashes.
An Indian naval officer, Captain Shiv Kumar, defence attaché at the Indian embassy in Jakarta, said at a seminar in Indonesia on June 10 that India lost fighter jets to Pakistani fire during the conflict.
His remarks sparked political controversy in India, with the opposition Indian National Congress party calling them an “indictment” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s government.
The May conflict was triggered by an April 22 attack in Indian Illegally Occupied Kashmir, where unidentified gunmen killed 26 people in Pahalgam.
India blamed Pakistan for the attack. Islamabad condemned the attack and strongly rejected the allegations.
Pakistan had repeatedly offered a neutral and transparent international investigation into the incident. However, Indian authorities failed to respond to Pakistan’s proposal and continued with its aggressive posture.
India launched strikes on Pakistani cities on the night of May 6–7, targeting the civilian population.
Pakistan swiftly responded with military action targeting Indian military installations.
Tensions eased after US President Donald Trump announced a ceasefire on May 10.
