Rafale Deal: Modi Government Eyes 114 Jets, Recalling Manmohan Era's ₹75,000 Crore Plan

• PM Modi's government is reportedly finalizing a deal for 114 Rafale fighter jets from France, estimated at ₹3.25 lakh crore, though official figures are unconfirmed.
• The Indian Air Force faces a critical shortage of fighter aircraft, exacerbated by delays in indigenous Tejas jets due to issues with American company GE.
• The Manmohan Singh government's 2007 tender for 126 Medium Multi-Role Combat Aircraft (MMRCA) saw Rafale win in 2012, with an estimated cost of ₹75,000 crore.
• The 2012 deal proposed 18 Rafale jets in fly-away condition and 108 to be manufactured by HAL in India with technology transfer.
• The Manmohan government's deal failed due to Dassault Aviation's concerns over man-hour discrepancies at HAL and delays by then-Defense Minister A.K. Antony, leading to its cancellation in 2015.

Why It Matters: Modi government plans a major Rafale purchase, contrasting with the Manmohan era's unfulfilled ₹75,000 crore deal.