This for India is a time for big deals with mighty nations. France’s president Emmanuel Macron is on a visit here that would likely see discussions or even the signing of a pact for sale of 114 Rafale fighter jets, worth $35 billion – billed as India’s largest-ever defence deal. The price and other modalities are yet to be finalized. Alongside, under a pact with the United States, India commits itself to purchase American products worth $500 billion, spanning sectors like fuel, IT, jets, coal, etc. There are apprehensions that President Trump has forced conditions on India to sign the trade deal — after his massive hike in tariffs on Indian items imported to the US, and then a strategic reduction of the tariffs to 18 per cent. In doing so, he also sought to double India’s imports from the US. The Modi government is yet to provide clarifications to some issues raised by the Opposition in Parliament. Certain matters need to be kept confidential, but using this argument as a shield to hide information from Parliament is unacceptable. Fears are also that the agriculture sector would be opened for market invasion by the US. Farmers’ interests could be affected. The government is duty-bound to protect national interests in such sweeping, big-scale agreements.
India has been engaging the French jet manufacturer Dassault Aviation for the past 15 years, starting with the UPA-II period. Both regional and global scenarios require us to further boost our defence capabilities. The US under Trump has begun acting on the global scene like a bull in a china shop. Americans have again started browbeating nations near and far. India is faced with constant irritants from both China and Pakistan – and the Operation Sindoor showed how Pakistan was well-equipped with Chinese defence systems. It brought down an Indian fighter jet, a Rafale, or more with use of Chinese fighter jets. India used to be heavily dependent on Russia for its defence requirements ever since the time of Jawaharlal Nehru. In recent times, India started looking beyond Russia and signed deals for Rafale jets in 2012. This was part of a strategic realignment plan also as Russia had failed to catch up with the times in defence upgradation, especially after the disintegration of the USSR and end of the Cold War era.
Notably, some 36 Rafales were purchased in stages since 2016 and 26 more signed for the Navy in 2024. India meanwhile built its own fighter jet, Tejas, that operates with lesser might. In a recent defence deal with the US, India agreed to purchase six Boeing P-8 Poseidon reconnaissance aircraft. Production and deliveries in such deals take time, but all these are bound to strengthen the nation’s military might in due course of time, possibly in the 2030s. We are as yet nowhere closer to China, which claims five times India’s defence might – due mainly to high-pitched pushes there since the turn of the century and complacence at the political leadership level here. China created huge wealth and reserved a part for its military progression. Here, the UPA-II slept through such scenarios. For Modi too, it took years to act decisively on this front. Better late than never!
