India on Thursday approved proposals for purchasing 26 Naval variant of Rafale jets from France and procuring three French-designed Scorpene class submarines, a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s wide-ranging talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

The two big-ticket procurement projects, expected to cost in the range of Rs 80,000 to Rs 85,000 crore, was approved by the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) headed by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and the platforms are set to significantly boost the Indian Navy’s overall military prowess.

The defence ministry said the procurement of the Rafale jets along with associated ancillary equipment including weapon systems and spares would be based on an inter-governmental agreement (IGA) and that price and other terms of purchase will be negotiated with the French government after taking into account all relevant aspects.