India And France Set To Start Negotiations For Rs 50,000 Crore Rafale Marine Fighter Jet Deal: Here's All You Need To Know

The negotiations between India and France for the acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets, valued at over Rs 50,000 crore, are reportedly set to begin on 30 May.

A high-level French delegation is arriving in India to initiate these negotiations.

The French delegation, which includes officials from their defence ministry and representatives from Dassault Aviation and Thales, will meet with counterparts from the Indian Defence Ministry.

The Indian delegation will include members from the defence acquisition wing and the Indian Navy.

The focus of the negotiations is the procurement of fighter jets for the Indian Navy, which will operate the aircraft from both of its aircraft carriers.

According to government sources cited in an ANI report, there is an effort to complete negotiations and sign the agreement by the end of the current financial year.

Earlier in December last year, France had responded to India's tender for these jets, intended for use on the INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya.

Since receiving France's response to the Letter of Acceptance, the Indian side has conducted a detailed evaluation of the bid, including the commercial offer or price for the aircraft, along with other details of the contract.

The upcoming negotiations are expected to be rigorous, given the government-to-government nature of the contract.

The Indian Navy is reportedly keen to expedite the process, with the Navy Chief instructing his team to ensure that the project timeline is significantly shortened to enable the early finalisation and induction of the aircraft.

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