The first batch of five Rafale jets on Monday took off from France for India, officials said. The multi-role fighter aircraft are scheduled to arrive at Ambala air force station on Wednesday, nearly four years after India signed an inter-governmental agreement with France to procure 36 Rafale jets for the Indian Air Force under a Rs 59,000-crore deal.

The fleet is expected to significantly boost the IAF's combat capabilities at a time when India is locked in a tense border row with China in eastern Ladakh. Indian Ambassador to France Jawed Ashraf interacted with IAF pilots before they took off from France.

- with agency inputs