NEW DELHI – India will discuss ‘remaining issues’ with France for the direct purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets as most of the ‘hitches’ in the multi-billion Euro deal had been addressed before the next meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), headed by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar. “There are few things which need to be addressed and the matter will possibly come up before the council in the next meeting and I think there after the road shall be clear,” said Rao Inderjit Singh, India’s state minister for defence, while speaking on the sidelines of a seminar on Make in India. The meeting of the council, the apex body of the Ministry of Defence for procurement, is likely to take place on April 21, a day after the defence minister return here from his visit to China. About the deal, Inderjit Singh said that he too heard from the media that the deal had been finalised late last week. Both France and India have been engaged in negotiations for a year to conclude a government-to-government deal on the fighter jets. In January, both the sides signed a memorandum of understanding for the purchase of the fighter jets during the visit of French President Francois Hollande’s to India. Hoping that the Rafale deal would be inked soon, India’s Air Force chief Arup Raha said that the deal was at a very advanced stage. “I can only tell you this that most of the hitches that were there, have been addressed. A few (remaining) issues will be addressed, when possibly the matter comes up before council. They shall be addressed in the next meeting. And thereafter I think the road shall be clear.” “We have seen so many years go past. How can I give an assurance? But it is in a very advanced stage,” he said when he was asked as to when the deal is likely to be signed. On the occasion, Indian junior defence minister brushed aside a suggestion that at least six indigenously made light combat aircraft Tejas can be bought for the price of one Rafale jet, saying both the aircraft were totally different in nature.