Singh, who co chaired the 6th Annual Defence Dialogue with his French counterpart in Bengaluru, discussed the deal to manufacture Rafale fighter jets in India, as part of an estimated ₹3.5 lakh crore deal for 114 aircraft.
Also read: Modi-Macron meet for bilateral talks as $15 billion annual trade and Rafale stakes script India-France reset
Sources said a key focus of the meeting was increasing the Make in India content of the deal, with work and technology transfer for Indian companies. Another major initiative for technology collaboration to develop a next generation fighter jet engine was also discussed in detail, they added.
The Indian side is also believed to have conveyed that MRO facilities for all classes of engines – fixed wing and rotary – should be set up locally given the large number of platforms operating in the region. French engine manufacturer Safran has already unveiled plans for such work in India. After the meeting, both countries announced that a 10-year defence cooperation agreement was renewed, which would encompass Training, cross deployment and technology cooperation.
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