Dassault Seeks to Complete India Warplane Deal Within Weeks
- Hollande says financial terms to be finalized in `coming days'
- Dassault shares rise as high as 4.3 percent in Paris trading
A picture shows the assembly line of the 'Rafale' jet fighter in the factory of French aircraft manufacturer Dassault Aviation on January 10, 2014 in Merignac, near Bordeaux, southwestern France. French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian made official on January 10 an estimated 1 billion euro contract between France and Dassault Aviation to further develop the fighter aircraft 'Rafale'. AFP PHOTO/ NICOLAS TUCAT (Photo credit should read NICOLAS TUCAT/AFP/Getty Images)
Photographer: AFP via Getty ImagesIndia’s nearly decade-long quest to acquire new fighter jets may be just a month away.
In a joint briefing in New Delhi on Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Francois Hollande hailed the signing of a government-to-government deal for 36 Dassault Aviation SA Rafale warplanes. Dassault said it’s “actively supporting French authorities in their efforts to finalize a complete agreement within the next four weeks."