Paris (France): The first Rafale aircraft will be handed over to India next month, said Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Thursday. "We are happy that the first of the 36 Rafale fighter aircraft will be handed over to India next month," said Modi, during a joint interaction after his bilateral meeting with the French President Emmanuel Macron.

In September 2016, India had signed a deal with the French government and Dassault Aviation to acquire 36 Rafale fighter jets for over Euro 7.8 billion to arrest the fall of combat squadrons and meet urgent requirements on the eastern and western fronts. The aircraft will start arriving in India from May next year.