France To Present New Price Quote To India For 36 Rafale Fighters

France and India are set to re-start negotiations on the pricing of 36 Rafale fighter jets later this month.

“French negotiators would reach New Delhi on March 29 to present a new price quote for the deal after both the sides disagreed on the pricing in January this year. India had asked to come up with a fresh quote on pricing,” the Tribune quoted unnamed sources as saying Thursday.

France had offered a fresh proposal to break the impasse over Rafale deal, a delegation of Indian and French officials had met earlier this month.

The Price Negotiation Committee formed to work out modalities on the 36 Rafale warplanes had not been able to conclude its task as it had not been able to strike a compromise.

The amount of the contract is estimated at 12 billion euros quoted by France while Indian negotiators are refusing to go beyond 8 billion euros.

During the meeting on March 10, it was believed that French authorities gave a fresh proposal with amendments to make the Rafale deal more attractive. The Indian side is examining the proposal.The details of the meeting had not been disclosed.

"The price is the problem that needs to be resolved as long as I do not get the right price, I cannot sign, but we resolved the other issues in terms of safeguards; procurement and manufacturing methods " Indian Defense Minister Manohar Parrikar had said Feb 19 this year.