The Rafale deal is a central constituent of the $150-billion military modernisation drive Delhi has launched.
With just three days to go before French President Franoics Hollande arrives in India, Indian and French negotiators are
still haggling over the price of 36 combat Rafale planes for the ageing Indian Air Force.
"Complex negotiations are underway," said Francois Richier, the French Envoy to India, to reporters today.
The nearly $10-billion fighter jet deal was agreed upon by Preisdent Hollande and Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the latter's visit to Paris last year.
The PM announced India would buy 36 Rafales in flyaway condition; both leaders ordered government-to-government talks after commercial negotiations with the manufacturer, Dassault Aviation, collapsed.
The French leader Francois Hollande is the Chief Guest for the Republic Day parade in Delhi. (Reuters Photo)
The Rafale deal is a central constituent of the $150-billion military modernisation drive Delhi has launched. The Air Force has said it needs fighter jets urgently to face China and Pakistan.
The French President will be the guest of honour at the Republic Day parade on Tuesday. Ahead of his arrival, security experts have assessed a "very real" ISIS threat, and today, 14 suspected ISIS sympathisers were arrested in different cities including Mumbai, Hyderabad and Bengaluru.
A few days ago,
a letter warning against President Hollande's visit was received by the French consulate in Bengaluru.
"There was a specific paper on ISIS threat to Hollande but we cannot say for sure that it's a real threat or just hype created to grab media attention. But France does face a real terror threat," said the French envoy.
ISIS conducted the deadly attack on Paris in November in which 130 people were killed at different public places, an assault that bore similarities to the Mumbai attacks of 2008 in which 166 people died.