I've occasionally seen this phenomena in the past, but usually the other way round, ie. native blade, European hilt. There was an article written on the subject sometime back but I don't have it to hand. Examples I can recall use a Khyber knife blade also African blades with European hilts.
Presumably the European hilt would be preferred as Indian or other native hilts were designed for a more slender hand. I also read that for example tulwar blades were considered superior to European blades, so perhaps that was a reason for the mix/match. Or maybe it was just to create an exotic show ? Don't know if it was permissible under military regulations ? Not a subject I have studied however.
