BENGALURU: Defense Minister Rajnath Singh with his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin during the sixth annual India-France Defense Dialogue, in Bengaluru. (PTI Image/Shailendra Bhojak)
New Delhi/Bengaluru: Union Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday asked his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin to “increase the India-made component” in the upcoming deal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets to “up to 50%”, defense sources told TOI.During the sixth annual India-France defense dialogue in Bengaluru, Rajnath asked Vautrin to “try to ensure that aircraft (fighter) engines are manufactured and repaired in India. This will help in the ‘Make in India’ efforts,” one of the sources said.The two ministers discussed a range of bilateral security and defense issues, including priority areas for joint development and joint production of defense equipment. India and France also renewed their defense cooperation agreement for another 10 years, announced the mutual deployment of army officers, and signed a memorandum of understanding to manufacture Hummer missiles in India.
The memorandum of understanding was signed to manufacture Hummer missiles as part of a joint venture between defense company PSU Bharat Electronics Limited and major French company Safran.Earlier, Rajnath and Vautrin attended the inauguration ceremony of the final assembly line of the H125 light helicopter, jointly built by Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus at Vemagal in Karnataka, with Prime Minister Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually inaugurating the facility from Mumbai.
After inaugurating the facility, Modi said: “We are proud of the fact that India and France together will manufacture in India the only helicopter in the world capable of flying to the heights of Mount Everest and export it to the whole world.” The first ‘Made in India’ H125 is expected to be delivered in early 2027, and the helicopter will help meet the Indian Armed Forces’ requirement for a light multi-role helicopter and enhance the Army’s operations on the icy heights of the Himalayas.
Rajnath said the total investment for the H125 project is expected to exceed Rs 1,000 crore and create direct and indirect employment opportunities.“From Rafale jets to submarines, we are expanding defense cooperation. India and France are also working together to build an assembly line for helicopters and fifth-generation fighter aircraft engines,” Macron said in Modi’s presence in Mumbai. Macron’s comments came days after the Rajnath-led Defense Procurement Council gave the green light to purchase 114 Rafale aircraft from France.
The cost negotiations between the two sides on the upcoming Rafale deal will get a major boost after Tuesday’s meeting between Modi and Macron, and the agreement will be signed after Cabinet approval.India may also purchase additional Scorpene-class conventional submarines from France. India has already acquired six Scorpene-class submarines (Calvari class) from France. The French Minister of Defense expressed his appreciation for transforming the Shakti exercise with the army from an exercise conducted every two years into an annual event.
