India may significantly expand its Rafale fighter jet fleet, with a French media report claiming that New Delhi has requested 31 additional Rafale Marine aircraft from Dassault Aviation. If this proposal moves ahead, India’s total Rafale order pipeline could rise to 145 aircraft, marking one of the largest fighter acquisitions in its history.

According to French publication La Tribune, the additional naval fighters would be sought alongside India’s recently cleared plan to procure 114 Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) for the Indian Air Force (IAF). However, there has been no official confirmation from the Indian government regarding the reported request for 31 more Rafale Marine jets.

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Existing orders

India has already signed two contracts for Rafale aircraft:

  • 36 Rafale jets for the IAF under a 2016 government-to-government agreement with France.
  • 26 Rafale Marine variants for the Indian Navy, with the deal concluded in April 2025.

If the new proposal for 31 additional Rafale Marine aircraft is approved, the Navy’s fleet of carrier-based fighters would increase substantially. Notably, India could end up operating a larger Rafale Marine fleet than France itself, which currently has 41 Rafale Marine aircraft in service.

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₹3.15 lakh crore MRFA Project

On February 12, India cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets under the MRFA programme through a government-to-government framework with France. While the Ministry of Defence did not officially disclose the cost, the deal is estimated to be worth around ₹3.15 lakh crore.

Under the MRFA project 18 aircraft will be delivered in fly-away condition directly from France while the remaining jets will be manufactured in India with over 50% indigenous content, to be achieved in phases.

This manufacturing plan is expected to boost India’s domestic aerospace industry and strengthen long-term maintenance and support capabilities.

The Rafale is a multi-role fighter capable of carrying advanced weapon systems. Its key weapons package includes the Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile developed by MBDA and the SCALP long-range cruise missile

These weapons significantly enhance the aircraft’s strike and air superiority capabilities.

The Indian Navy had earlier projected a requirement of 31 Rafale Marine aircraft for its aircraft carriers. If the newly reported request is approved, the Navy’s Rafale fleet would expand well beyond its original projection.

If both the 114-aircraft MRFA deal and the additional 31 Rafale Marine jets move forward, India would become one of the largest operators of the Rafale fighter globally.

For now, however, the expansion remains subject to official confirmation from New Delhi.