India-France $7.09 billion jet engine deal marks bold step toward defence self-reliance

India is poised to take a giant leap forward in its ambitious journey toward defence self-reliance, with a landmark $7.09 billion (₹61,000 crore) jet engine deal with France.

This high-value partnership, centred around the co-development of state-of-the-art fighter jet engines, marks a pivotal moment for India’s aerospace capabilities and represents a clear shift in the country’s long-term vision for strategic autonomy.

The deal, expected to be inked in the coming months between India’s Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and French aerospace giant Safran, will power the next generation of Indian fighter jets, including the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA).

It not only unlocks a new era of technology transfer and indigenous manufacturing but also strengthens the growing bilateral strategic partnership between New Delhi and Paris.

A breakthrough in indigenous jet engine development

For decades, the development of a sophisticated jet engine has remained one of the most challenging frontiers for India’s defence ecosystem.

While India has made significant strides in aircraft design and production — with platforms like the Light Combat Aircraft (LCA) Tejas — the lack of a fully indigenous engine has remained a limiting factor. This forthcoming collaboration with Safran changes that equation.

Under the proposed deal, India and France will co-develop a 110-kilonewton thrust class engine tailored specifically for India’s AMCA project. Safran is expected to transfer critical engine technology, including hot core components and single crystal turbine blades — areas that are globally guarded and form the heart of any modern fighter engine.

This technological leap will be a defining milestone for DRDO’s Gas Turbine Research Establishment (GTRE), which has long pursued indigenous engine development through the Kaveri programme.

While the Kaveri engine served as a stepping stone, the collaboration with France ensures a quantum jump in capability, enabling India to match global benchmarks in jet propulsion technology.

Boosting ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ in aerospace

The jet engine partnership fits squarely within the broader vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) campaign. With this deal, India will not only build advanced engines domestically but also gain the know-how to maintain, service, and upgrade them over their lifecycle — a major shift from past dependencies.

The manufacturing ecosystem around the new engine will spur industrial growth, create thousands of high-skilled jobs, and open new opportunities for Indian public and private sector companies alike.

Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), Bharat Forge, Godrej Aerospace, and several MSMEs are expected to be key contributors in the local production of engine components.

Moreover, the project will create a ripple effect in R&D, testing infrastructure, and talent development, positioning India as a credible player in global aerospace innovation. With time, the engine’s design and production experience can be extended to power drones, transport aircraft, and potentially even space propulsion systems.

Deepening India-France strategic partnership

The jet engine deal is yet another milestone in the ever-strengthening strategic partnership between India and France.

Over the last decade, the two nations have collaborated extensively across a range of domains — defence, space, maritime security, climate change, and nuclear energy.
France’s willingness to co-develop high-end military technology with India underscores the deep trust between the two nations. It also highlights France’s recognition of India as a key Indo-Pacific partner and a rising technology power.

The deal builds upon the successful acquisition of 36 Rafale fighter jets and complements joint naval exercises, submarine collaborations, and India’s participation in European-led maritime security efforts.

With France set to assume a greater leadership role in Indo-Pacific affairs, the engine partnership further solidifies India’s position as a reliable and capable regional player — not just as a buyer of platforms, but as a co-creator of cutting-edge technology.

Empowering the AMCA and India’s fifth-gen ambitions

At the heart of the engine deal lies India’s next-generation fighter — the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA), a fifth-generation stealth fighter currently under development by DRDO and HAL.

The aircraft, intended to replace older fleets and complement the Rafale and Tejas, will feature stealth design, supercruise capability, advanced avionics, and network-centric warfare readiness.

To meet such ambitious performance parameters, a powerful and reliable engine is crucial — and the India-France collaboration delivers just that. The jointly developed powerplant will be tailored to the AMCA’s airframe and mission requirements, providing optimal thrust-to-weight ratio, fuel efficiency, and operational reliability.

With engine development being a long-lead process, early commitment to co-development now ensures that by the time AMCA enters production in the early 2030s, India will have a domestically produced propulsion system ready to power its newest fighter.

Elevating India’s status as a global aerospace hub

As global defence supply chains diversify and countries look for trustworthy alternatives to legacy suppliers, India is uniquely positioned to emerge as a global aerospace hub.

The engine deal with France not only aligns with this aspiration but accelerates it.
Co-development brings with it co-production, export potential, and global market relevance.

Once the engine is certified and productionised, India can offer a domestically powered fifth-generation fighter platform to friendly countries across Asia, Africa, and Latin America. The economic multiplier effects of such an export-ready aerospace product are immense, potentially attracting billions in revenue and reinforcing India’s reputation as a responsible defence technology partner.

Additionally, this initiative raises India’s standing in multilateral forums and defence industry expos, placing it on the same pedestal as countries like the U.S., France, Russia, and the UK, who have traditionally dominated advanced military aviation.

Driving innovation and building next-gen talent

Perhaps one of the most enduring legacies of the India-France engine project will be its contribution to research, innovation, and talent development.

The technology and manufacturing ecosystems that will emerge from this partnership are bound to inspire the next generation of Indian aerospace engineers, scientists, and technicians.

Collaborative R&D labs, joint training programmes, and academic partnerships will cultivate high-end skills in turbine thermodynamics, materials science, cooling technologies, and systems integration — knowledge areas with both defence and civilian applications.

India’s premier institutions like IITs, DRDO labs, and private think tanks will be central to this technological renaissance. In the long run, this focus on homegrown expertise will elevate India's innovation quotient not just in defence, but in allied sectors such as renewable energy, advanced manufacturing, and space.

India’s proposed $7.09 billion jet engine deal with France is more than a defence agreement — it is a bold and visionary step toward technological self-sufficiency, industrial advancement, and strategic empowerment.

As the country marches ahead on the path of Aatmanirbhar Bharat, this collaboration promises to be a cornerstone achievement, combining world-class technology with homegrown ambition.

It reflects a future where India is not merely assembling foreign systems, but co-developing core technologies that define modern air power. And in doing so, it lays the foundation for a resilient, innovative, and globally respected aerospace ecosystem — one that can shape India’s defence landscape for generations to come.