Its time India listened to the US and evaluated the -18 or the -16IN. Rafale doesn't give you more bang for the buck, the American jets are. Plus, you'll be supported by ever advancing technology to keep India ahead of the curve every few years. The French would smile at you and would want "hard cash" for every single additional upgrade they bring to the table in the future.....
I'd suggest listening to the US.....and getting manufacturing rights on -18 or -16IN. You can NEVER go wrong with those two or even one of those two!!
These feel happy and make me smile statements don't cover the real deal. The French DO NOT want to:
1) Reduce cost per unit because India thinks so
2) Allow customization to their avionics and other sensitive tech because India wants to.
3) Support India's internal Offset laws and spend a huge chunk of money internally in India.....
Am I thinking this is too much and cray or is it REALLY crazy? I think the later is true. The French don't do deals where they won't make a significant margin. Here, they won't make any decent margin. So consider this cancelled IMO.
The US has offered you the sweetest deals, -18 ASH, -16IN, pick one, with the latest tech, Indian assembly and to some degree component manufacturing. What else could one need? And top of the line equipment!!!