France backs ‘Make in India’ in defence, signals new model for Rafale deal ahead of Modi visit

Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France for the G7 Summit, French diplomatic sources on Thursday (June 11, 2026) said the nation’s future defence cooperation with India, including the proposed Rafale fighter jet deal, will be aligned with the ‘Make in India’ initiative and based on an equal partnership.

France has reiterated its commitment to India’s ‘Make in India’ initiative in the defence sector, signalling that the proposed procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Air Force (IAF) would be structured differently from previous defence deals.

During the visit on June 13-14, PM Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the summit.

India is currently advancing a mega defence acquisition programme, estimated at around ₹3.25 lakh crore, for 114 Rafale fighter aircraft from the Indian Air Force (IAF). According to French diplomatic sources, the proposed collaboration is being envisioned as a partnership based on co-development and industrial cooperation rather than a traditional client-vendor arrangement. “The defence programmes developed jointly by France will be fully aligned with India’s ‘Make in India’ requirements,” the sources said. They added that defence and technology cooperation between the two countries was entering a new phase, with greater emphasis on local manufacturing, integration of local weapons systems, and industrial participation by Indian entities.

The sources stressed that the partnership was based on an “equal-to-equal” approach and not merely on the sale of military platforms.

Apart from defence cooperation, civil nuclear energy is expected to feature prominently in discussions between Mr. Macron and Mr. Modi. French officials expressed optimism about the prospects of enhanced cooperation in the nuclear sector, citing recent legislative reforms in India.

According to the sources, French utility companies are engaged in discussions with major Indian stakeholders regarding future projects. “We are at the beginning of a new phase,” they said, expressing confidence that greater clarity on potential collaborations could emerge by the end of the year.

On the possibility of India’s participation in the Future Combat Air System (FCAS), France’s sixth-generation fighter aircraft programme, the sources said that “everything is open” but noted that any formal partnership would depend on India approaching France with a concrete proposal.

India had earlier expressed interest in joining the FCAS programme during the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue held in Bengaluru in February this year. At the meeting, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh discussed the proposal with the French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs.

According to official sources in the Ministry of Defence, Mr. Singh conveyed India’s willingness to participate in the co-development and co-manufacture of a sixth-generation combat aircraft under the FCAS framework.

The FCAS programme was launched jointly by France and Germany in 2017, with Spain joining in 2019. The project aims to develop a next-generation combat ecosystem centred around a sixth-generation fighter aircraft and advanced networked capabilities. As per recent reports, Germany has stepped out of the programme.