Rafales are the best fighter aircraft in the world, better than China's J20s. This was their premise when buying the Rafales after being rejected by the Americans. The Americans are well known for spreading lies and believing in their lies. India is slightly different. India believes in their own beliefs and bragging. They believe that the Rafales are the best aircraft to challenge China's air superiority. Oops, not challenged, they really believe that with the Rafales, they can knock out the J20s, 5 J20s for every Rafale lost.
The Indians were so confident of their belief in the Rafales that they started the war with Pakistan in Operation Sindoor. Their main objective was to tell China that the Indians now have air superiority over China and can threaten China. And they will prove it by knocking out Pakistan Air Force for a start. They could not believe that it turned out to be a false start, an embarrassment too hard to swallow.
While the whole world was gasping in disbelief at how easy the Rafales were taken out, India went silent and into a state of denial. 5 or 6 Rafales being taken out were no mistake, no accident. It was convincing enough to shut the mouth of Dassault, France. India did not stay quiet for long. A month after the embarassing war, India mount a campaign to tell the world and the Indians that they won the war against Pakistan. India can win any war anywhere, not necessary in the battle field. They can invent their narratives to please and flatter themselves.
When the world thought India's romance with the Rafales was over, India surprised everyone by making a new order for another 114 Rafales. India has no choice. The aircraft that is left that could challenge China's J10s and also J20s is the F35. Not tested yet, just American bragging. But the Americans would not sell to India. Russia's SU57 is a possibility but the delivery date could be another 10 years down the road. And India's own make belief Tejas, more like a trainer aircraft, is way behind the real thing. This is the only bragging that the Indians also don't believe, that the Tejas can even come near the J10C. India only built the airframe and everything else needed to be imported, especially the engine. India by now would have known that the Americans had written India off and even low grade engine for the Tejas would not be available. The Tejas is India's dream fighter aircraft but unlikely to be anything meaningful.
Now that India has decided on the Rafales again, the same narrative of air superiority is being repeated. India is comparing the Rafales with the J20s now, not with the J10C despite a good rubbing in Operation Sindoor. Indian analysts and media are now claiming how superior the Rafales are and how bad the J20s are, that the J20s have so many flaws that it would be a walkover when pitted against the Rafales. With the order for another 114 Rafales, India already defeated China's J20s and has achieved air superiority over China. But no Indian Rafale will dare to fly nearer than 200km from the Pakistani border. You know what this mean.
To the Indians, they believe that their choice must be the best in the world. And better still, they are being flown by the best Indian pilots in the world. This combination will make the Rafales the best in the world. The J20s will be no match to the Indian flown Rafales. The Rafales will knock out the lesser J20s easily. An Indian 4.5 gen Rafale, not the French flown Rafale, is more superior than a 5 gen J20. Period. The Indians are very happy that they have won.