​India and France to Begin Negotiations for Rs 50,000 Crore Rafale Marine Jet Deal - A major development is underway as India gears up to negotiate a whopping Rs 50,000 crore deal for 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets with France. Scheduled to kick off on May 30, a high-level French delegation is set to arrive in India to initiate discussions.

India and France are set to commence negotiations this week for a major deal worth over Rs 50,000 crore to acquire 26 Rafale Marine fighter jets. A high-level team from France is arriving on May 30 to start official talks with India's Defence Ministry.

The agreement is aimed at supplying fighter jets to the Indian Navy for use on their aircraft carriers. Officials from France's defence ministry and industry, including Dassault Aviation and Thales, will be part of the negotiating team. On the Indian side, members from the Defence Acquisition Wing and the Indian Navy will participate.

Sources indicate that efforts will be made to finalize negotiations with France and sign the agreement by the end of this financial year. France had already submitted its response to India's tender for purchasing the Rafale Marine jets in December.

The Indian government has thoroughly assessed the French proposal, which includes the commercial offer for the aircraft and other contract details. Now, tough negotiations are expected between Indian and French officials, as the deal is a government-to-government contract.

The Navy Chief has instructed his team to expedite the project timeline significantly to ensure the swift finalization and induction of the planes into the inventory.

According to industry sources, the negotiations will see representatives from both Indian and French defence ministries, as well as key players like Dassault Aviation and Thales, the original equipment manufacturers. The deal pertains to the procurement of fighter jets for the Indian Navy, intended for deployment on its aircraft carriers.

Indian counterparts, including members from the Defence Acquisition Wing and the Indian Navy, will be part of the negotiation process. The aim, as per government sources, is to wrap up discussions and ink the agreement by the end of the fiscal year.

France had already responded to India's tender for the purchase of 26 Rafale Marine jets, earmarked for deployment on INS Vikrant and INS Vikramaditya, India's aircraft carriers. The response was submitted by France in New Delhi back in December.

Government sources reveal that India has thoroughly assessed the French bid, scrutinizing aspects like pricing and contract details. With negotiations set to commence, the focus will be on hammering out terms in this government-to-government deal.

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