India and France are expected to sign their biggest-ever defence deal for the sale of 26 Rafale Marine aircraft for the Indian Navy in the presence of French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu on April 28.

Senior officials from both sides will be present at the signing of the contract worth over Rs 63,000 crore, defence sources said.

The ceremony is also scheduled to be held outside the Defence Ministry headquarters in South Block, sources said.

The French minister is expected to arrive in India on Sunday evening and return on Monday evening, sources said.

Earlier this month, on April 9, at a meeting of the Defence Committee headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, India had approved the largest defence deal with France for 26 Rafale-Marine combat aircraft under a government-to-government agreement.

The government-to-government contract includes 22 single-seater and four twin-seater jets, as well as a comprehensive package for fleet maintenance, logistical support, personnel training and indigenous component manufacturing.

The fighters will operate from INS Vikrant and will complement the existing MiG-29K fleet.

The Indian Air Force already has a fleet of 36 aircraft acquired under a separate deal signed in 2016. The IAF Rafale jets are operated from their two bases in Ambala and Hashinara.

The deal for Rafale-MS26 will increase the number of Rafale jets to 62 and increase the number of 4.5-generation aircraft in the Indian arsenal.

A new tender is expected to be floated by the Indian Air Force soon to compete for the multi-role fighter aircraft.

However, the Indian Air Force is keen on acquiring a specific aircraft to meet its immediate requirements.