Made-In-India Rafale fighter jet: Top defence official reveals when deal will be inked after DAC nod

Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh said the forthcoming procurement reforms aim to dramatically speed up defence buying by simplifying procedures, delegating approval powers, revamping trials/quality assurance and creating new routes such as long‑term bulk acquisition and a low‑cost capital acquisition track, with an aspirational goal of cutting timelines to as little as six months for fast-moving items and around two years for bulk cases. He also said the DAC-cleared 114‑Rafale programme will, for the first time, see Rafale fighters manufactured outside France with about 40–50% localisation in India under a government‑to‑government structure, with full authority to integrate Indian weapons and systems.