French Ambassador to India, Dr Thierry Mathou, reaffirmed France’s commitment to deepen its strategic defence collaboration with India, highlighting interest in manufacturing Rafale fighter jets within the country.

Speaking in New Delhi, he stated that France is “eager to not only sell Rafale but build Rafale in India”, signalling openness to the Make in India framework and local industrial participation.

The proposed plan could pave the way for large-scale assembly, component manufacturing, and potential technology transfer related to Dassault Aviation’s Rafale platform.

This aligns with India’s push for indigenous capability enhancement under the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative, especially as the Indian Air Force looks to expand its fighter fleet through the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) programme.

Dr Mathou also noted that France is keen to advance the joint initiative between Safran and India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to develop a next-generation fighter engine for the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

This project aims to deliver a 110 kN-class indigenous turbofan engine incorporating stealth-oriented and high thrust-to-weight characteristics suitable for India’s upcoming fifth-generation fighter.

Discussions on both fronts are expected to intensify during upcoming high-level bilateral meetings, building on the robust Indo-French defence partnership that has already produced successful outcomes across aerospace, propulsion, space, and maritime cooperation.

France’s intent to localise critical defence manufacturing in India reflects growing alignment with New Delhi’s long-term goals of self-reliance and strategic autonomy in defence technology.