The agreement was finalised on Monday in New Delhi, with Indian Defence Secretary Raj Kumar Singh and French Ambassador Thierry Mathou presiding over the signing ceremony.
Deliveries are slated to begin between 2028 and 2029, with the fleet expected to be fully operational by 2031 or 2032.
The Rafale-M jets represent a technological leap for the Indian Navy, according to foreign-affairs specialist Robinder Sachdev, bringing its carrier operations in line with the Indian Air Force’s upgraded capabilities.
India had previously bought 36 Rafale fighters in 2016 under a deal worth around US$7.2 billion, deploying the jets to strategic airbases near its borders with Pakistan and China. The naval variant will now replace the ageing, accident-prone MiG-29K fleet aboard India’s two aircraft carriers: the INS Vikramaditya and the newly commissioned INS Vikrant.
