Paris — Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Friday he had asked France to supply his air force with 36 Rafale fighter jets, after years of wrangling over the deal.

"I asked the President (Francois Hollande) to supply us with 36 Rafale jet fighter planes, the ready-to-fly models," Modi said at a joint news conference at the Elysee Palace.

"France has always been a reliable supplier for India from jet fighters to submarines," said Modi.

"We want the terms and conditions to be negotiated on this issue, and our civil servants are going to debate these aspects in depth and press ahead with the negotiations," added the Indian prime minister.

For his part, Hollande said he was "deeply moved" by the announcements and said they took the partnership between the two countries "into a new gear."