India signed a deal with France on Monday to buy 26 Rafale fighter aircraft worth 630 billion rupees ($7.41 billion) for its navy, an official from the Indian defense ministry told Reuters.
The purchase was approved earlier this month by India's security cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Reuters reported.
The Indian Air Force currently operates 36 Rafale fighters, while the navy's aircraft fleet mainly comprises Russian MiG-29 jets.
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The deal comes as India seeks to modernize its military and boost domestic weapons production.
It also marks another step in India's long-standing reliance on French military hardware, including Mirage 2000 jets bought in the 1980s and Scorpene-class submarines ordered in 2005.
