India’s defence aerospace sector is at a crucial juncture. The Indian Air Force’s (IAF) plan to acquire 114 additional Dassault Rafale fighter jets, potentially the country’s largest defence purchase valued at over INR 2 lakh crore ($22 billion), is not solely about expanding squadron numbers. It signifies a strategic shift towards aerospace self-reliance, boosting confidence in India’s long-term capabilities.
The Rafale acquisition, if approved, would increase India’s fleet to 176 fighter jets, combining the current 36 twin-engine Omni-role fighters with 26 Rafale-Ms ordered for the Indian Navy. However, the true significance of this move is not just in the numerical increase but in how it advances India’s long-term goal of aerospace self-reliance.
The Evolving India-France Aerospace Cooperation
The India-France defence partnership has developed into one of the most productive and technologically significant bilateral relationships in the aerospace sector. Dassault Aviation’s choice to produce Rafale fighter jet fuselages in India marks a milestone, promoting a sense of shared progress.
Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) will oversee this project from its Hyderabad facility, which is expected to start producing initial fuselage assemblies by 2028. Once fully operational, the facility can manufacture up to two complete fuselages each month, marking a significant joint achievement.
This marks a significant transition from basic assembly to structural manufacturing, establishing India firmly within the global Rafale supply chain. As France increases production from three to four aircraft per month at its Mérignac and Cergy-Pontoise facilities to meet growing international demand, India’s role as a parallel manufacturing hub will help shorten delivery times and cut production costs.
Such developments establish India not only as a leading operator of the Rafale platform but also as a key contributor to its global ecosystem. When structured properly, this collaboration can act as a launchpad for broader technology adoption, especially in propulsion technologies and MRO operations.
The Strategic Case for Expansion
The IAF’s operational strength is currently at 29 fighter squadrons, significantly below its sanctioned 42.5. This reduction, caused by the phaseout of MiG-21s and the upcoming retirement of Jaguar strike aircraft, has created critical gaps in India’s air combat capability. Considering the threat from both China and Pakistan on dual fronts, filling these gaps with a proven system like the Rafale is a strategic move.
Beyond replenishing numbers, this acquisition guarantees logistical continuity and operational cohesion. Expanding an existing fleet simplifies the maintenance of multiple fighter types, streamlining training, maintenance, and spares management. More importantly, it provides India with a platform for accelerated indigenisation that extends beyond airframes into the deeper domains of propulsion and MRO.
The Engine of Strategic Autonomy
The most significant result of the growing India-France aerospace partnership is in the propulsion sector. India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), through its Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE) lab, has teamed up with French engine maker Safran to jointly develop a state-of-the-art 120–140 kN thrust fighter jet engine.
This “clean-sheet” design, valued at approximately INR 61,000 crore ($7 billion), is being developed with full Indian intellectual property rights and complete transfer of technology from Safran to India.
This engine, which will ultimately power the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) Mk-2, marks a historic step toward genuine aerospace self-reliance. Safran has agreed to transfer 100 percent of critical technologies, including the design and manufacture of single-crystal turbine blades and high-temperature hot-section components. These are the core of any modern jet engine, shaping its efficiency, performance, and durability under extreme stress.
Unlike earlier efforts such as the Kaveri program, this collaboration starts from a clean technological base but incorporates decades of experiential learning. The new design promises a high thrust-to-weight ratio, fuel efficiency, and super cruise capability, enabling sustained supersonic flight without afterburner use. These features are essential for a fifth-generation stealth fighter like the AMCA, as they improve range, reduce the thermal signature, and enable greater combat endurance.
The co-development plan lasts a decade, with prototype testing around 2028, certification by 2032, and full-scale serial production expected by 2035, emphasising the need for faster progress to meet Strategic objectives.
MRO: The Unsung Pillar of Aerospace Capability
While new engine development makes headlines, building local Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) capabilities is vital for long-term aerospace security. India’s current dependence on external service providers and foreign OEMs for maintenance and overhauls is a strategic weakness, but creating domestic MRO facilities will boost national pride and operational independence.
Dassault and Safran have acknowledged this gap and are establishing an MRO facility in Hyderabad dedicated to the Rafale’s M88 engines. The facility is expected to serve India’s domestic fleet as well as regional operators in the future. As more Rafales are inducted and additional countries acquire the platform—Ukraine being the latest potential customer—this MRO hub could develop into a regional service and repair centre, positioning India as a key logistics hub in Asia.
Linking MRO capability to indigenous engine development creates a comprehensive aerospace ecosystem—covering design, manufacturing, testing, maintenance, and sustainment—essential for India’s strategic autonomy and operational independence.
Economic and Industrial Implications
The combined Rafale and Safran initiatives could generate a multiplier effect throughout the Indian industrial and technological sectors. Localized aerospace manufacturing will create thousands of jobs, expand high-precision supply chains, and promote private-sector involvement in high-technology manufacturing.
TASL’s manufacturing line in Hyderabad is expected to stimulate clusters of specialized suppliers across Bengaluru, Pune, and Coimbatore. The spin-off benefits extend beyond combat aircraft, supporting India’s broader civil aviation and unmanned systems industry.
From an industrial policy standpoint, the key is to ensure that these collaborations promote genuine knowledge transfer, not just contract assembly. A Make in India content threshold of 60 percent or more, supported by indigenous aero-engine and MRO capabilities, shifts India’s role from buyer to builder. This model aligns directly with the Atmanirbhar Bharat vision of self-reliance through strategic technology ownership.
The Strategic Rationale for Aero-Engine Mastery
Globally, the list of nations capable of designing and producing advanced fighter-class jet engines remains short: the United States, Russia, France, the United Kingdom, and China. Entry into this elite group marks a threshold of strategic sovereignty. For India, mastering aero-engine technology reduces dependency risks, strengthens deterrence credibility, and enhances defence export potential.
Propulsion technology is essential to the entire aerospace sector. Without domestic expertise, indigenous fighter programs like the LCA Tejas, AMCA, or future unmanned combat air vehicles stay dependent on foreign suppliers, restricting both operational and strategic independence.
Control over engine design also allows India to customize performance features to suit its specific operational environment—high altitudes, hot-and-high airfields, and long subcontinental deployment cycles.
Furthermore, indigenous MRO and engine repair capabilities decrease lifecycle costs by up to 35 percent, allowing resources to be redirected toward innovation and modernization. During prolonged conflicts or blockaded situations, the ability to repair, refit, and regenerate one’s own aircraft fleet becomes a crucial factor in maintaining air power resilience.
From Licence Production to Capability Creation
India’s earlier defence-industrial model was heavily based on license production, with limited integration of design expertise. The current generation of programs—such as Rafale fuselage manufacturing, M88 engine servicing, and the Indo-French engine co-development marks a shift from reliance on production to building capabilities.
This development requires policy alignment, ongoing funding, and coordinated project management among DRDO, private industry, and the armed forces. The Safran partnership, for example, provides a model that could guide future collaborations with Western and regional partners on similar terms of intellectual property rights and technology sharing.
Strategic Spillovers and Defence Diplomacy
Technology partnerships of this scale yield diplomatic benefits. The Indo-French aerospace connection now serves as a key element of broader strategic cooperation ranging from space collaboration to joint maritime patrols and industrial co-development initiatives.
By establishing advanced manufacturing in India, France also secures a dependable production and maintenance foundation for global clients. Simultaneously, India gains guaranteed access to propulsion technologies that are otherwise tightly protected by Western defence industries.
Such partnerships enhance India’s position in global aerospace diplomacy. They demonstrate to other technology holders that India is not just a large market but a reliable co-development partner capable of protecting intellectual property and producing high-quality outputs.
Challenges and Course Correction
Despite the promise, several challenges still exist. India’s past aerospace programmes have struggled with bureaucratic inertia, coordination gaps between design agencies and production units, and inconsistent long-term funding flows.
The success of the joint Safran-GTRE engine will rely heavily on setting clear program milestones, maintaining consistent leadership oversight, and streamlining regulatory frameworks for exports and technology certification. Developing domestic testing infrastructure—such as high-altitude test facilities, wind tunnels, and endurance rigs should be prioritised nationally to avoid reliance on overseas testing centres.
Furthermore, developing a skilled workforce capable of handling materials, precision engineering, and digital manufacturing must happen simultaneously. Aero-engine production is one of the most knowledge-intensive industries worldwide, integrating metallurgy, fluid dynamics, and control systems within a single engineering ecosystem.
Towards a Self-Reliant Aerospace Future
If executed faithfully, the Rafale expansion and Indo-French engine program will transform India into one of the world’s leading centers for fighter manufacturing, propulsion, and sustainment. The resulting ecosystem would enable India to maintain, upgrade, and ultimately export its advanced aircraft platforms.
In the long history of air power, such developments distinguish operator nations from aerospace powers. By uniting industrial policy, defense procurement, and technological co-development within a single strategic framework, India is positioned to attain genuine aerospace sovereignty.
The journey from dependency to dominance starts with mastering the engine—the literal core of every aircraft and the symbolic center of national air power.