Rafale MRFA Deal: Dassault Aviation is taking a much more direct route in India’s new 114 Rafale MRFA plan. Recent reporting says the company wants to take full charge of the aircraft, choose its own Indian partners, and do ground and flight testing in India itself. In a new move that is very different from the older plan, one report said, “The company will assume full responsibility for the aircraft, select its own Indian partners and suppliers, and conduct ground and flight testing locally.”
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This matters because India is now looking at another big Rafale purchase after clearing the 114-jet proposal earlier this year. Reuters reported in February 2026 that India gave initial clearance for the deal, while French President Emmanuel Macron also said India had shown interest in co-producing the jets. Dassault’s CEO has also said, “We want to make sure that the 114 Rafale MRFA contract is signed this year.”
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This new approach is clearly trying to fix the problems that hurt the old 126-aircraft MMRCA plan. That earlier deal ran into trouble because the question of who would be responsible for HAL-made Rafales was never settled properly. India’s own defence process for that tender was later withdrawn in 2015, after long delays and repeated disputes. A CAG-related report and government papers pointed to the lack of a clear guarantee for HAL-built aircraft as one of the major problems.
In simple words, the old deal got stuck because no one wanted confusion over quality, delivery, and liability. That is why Dassault is now trying to keep tighter control. The company seems to be saying that this time it will not leave the main responsibility to another partner. Instead, it wants a cleaner system where one side is clearly in charge.
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Made in India with Dassault in Control
Dassault is also moving ahead with Indian production work. In June 2025, it signed four Production Transfer Agreements with Tata Advanced Systems Limited to make Rafale fuselage sections in Hyderabad. Dassault’s own website said this is the first Rafale fuselage production site outside France. That is a big step for India’s defence industry and a clear sign that the new deal is being built around local manufacturing.
The main difference now is that Dassault is not waiting for one single default Indian partner to handle everything. It is picking suppliers based on skill, production strength, and fit. That should make the work more organised and should also reduce the kind of confusion that hurt the older tender.
