India's ongoing interest in acquiring French-designed Rafale fighter jets will not impede the advancement of the indigenous TEJAS MK-1A and TEJAS MK-2 platforms, Shiv Aroor & Vishnu Som of NDTV reported.

Speaking at the NDTV Defence Conclave 2026, Defence Secretary RK Singh clarified that acquiring additional Rafale platforms is a necessity due to depleting Indian Air Force (IAF) squadron numbers caused by the retirement of older aircraft like the MiG-21.

The Defence Secretary highlighted that the Rafale is a proven platform that performed exceptionally well during Operation Sindoor, and India already possesses it within its military inventory.

India is currently in negotiations with France for 114 additional Rafale fighters under the Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft initiative, an acquisition estimated at approximately ₹3,25,000 crore to ₹3,72,839 crore ($34 billion to $39 billion).

The French aerospace manufacturer Dassault submitted a formal proposal on 6 August 2026, which is under review by the Defence Ministry. Under the terms of the proposal, 18 fighter jets will be delivered directly from France in fly-away condition, while the remaining 96 will be manufactured domestically in India with high levels of indigenisation.

RK Singh explained that establishing a second fighter aircraft production facility in the nation justifies proceeding with the acquisition alongside the indigenous programme. The government intends to adopt a spiral development model for the TEJAS MK-1A, gradually integrating sophisticated domestic systems into the platform over time.

This incremental development strategy for the TEJAS MK-1A involves adding advanced capabilities, such as the indigenous Uttam air-search radar, which official statements claim matches or surpasses foreign equivalents.

India is simultaneously developing the Uttam radar for the TEJAS fighter and the Virupaksha radar to upgrade the Sukhoi Su-30MKI aircraft fleet.

Negotiations for the additional 114 Rafales include efforts to integrate Indian-manufactured weapons such as the Astra missile into the platform.

However, reports indicate France has declined to provide source codes for the aircraft's radar, mission computer, and SPECTRA electronic-warfare suit, restricting direct weapon integration. French diplomatic sources noted that the current negotiations are distinct from past agreements and remain active.

In addition to the ongoing talks, India signed an intergovernmental agreement with France on 23 September 2016 for 36 IAF Rafale jets costing ₹59,000 crore ($7.87 billion, equivalent to ₹75,223 crore), with the first five arriving on 29 July 2020.

Furthermore, India signed a contract on 28 April 2025 valued at ₹63,000 crore for 26 Rafale-Marine jets (22 single-seat variants and 4 twin-seat trainers) to operate from INS Vikrant, making India the first foreign operator of the naval variant.

The proposed procurement of 114 Rafale jets aims to fill the operational capability gap faced by the IAF alongside indigenous fighter development and unmanned aerial systems.

The TEJAS development has encountered timeline delays from Hindustan Aeronautics Limited, with TEJAS MK-1A deliveries originally scheduled for February 2024 and the TEJAS MK-2 prototype rollout delayed from August 2022.

Agencies