Rajnath Singh pushes local manufacturing in Rafale programme under Make in India

India has asked France to significantly increase domestic participation in the production of Rafale fighter jets, with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh proposing up to 50% indigenous manufacturing content. The request was conveyed during high-level defence discussions as part of expanding military cooperation between the two countries.

The fighter aircraft, built by Dassault Aviation, is a leading contender in India’s planned acquisition of 114 multirole jets for the Indian Air Force. The proposal aligns with India’s push for co-design, co-development and co-production of advanced defence platforms rather than a traditional buyer-seller arrangement.

The issue was discussed during the India-France Annual Defence Dialogue, where both sides also extended their 10-year defence cooperation framework. Officials highlighted joint work in aircraft manufacturing, combat engines and broader defence technology collaboration as central to the partnership.

The push follows recent talks between Narendra Modi and Emmanuel Macron, which elevated bilateral ties to a Special Global Strategic Partnership. If finalised, the expanded Rafale programme would become one of India’s largest defence acquisitions and a major step toward domestic defence manufacturing capability.