India has approved a plan to buy and jointly manufacture 114 French-made Rafale fighter jets in a multibillion-dollar deal to plug critical gaps in its air defenses.The South Asian nation’s Defense Procurement Board, which is headed by the ministry’s top bureaucrat and decides on large purchases, cleared the proposal to buy the Dassault Aviation jets on Friday, according to senior officials, who declined to be named because the discussions are private. For all the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.India’s Ministry of Defense and Air Force did not immediately respond to requests for comment after business hours.The purchase would be a significant upgrade for the Indian Air Force, whose fighter fleet, largely of Russian origin, is dwindling. India canceled a deal to buy 126 Rafale fighters from France in 2015 after years of negotiations over quality assurance issues with Indian-manufactured jets. French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit India