Macron lands in India with focus on defence deals and 'trust-based cooperation'
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Mirzapur in 2018
India-France ties: French President Emmanuel Macron's began his official visit to India on Thursday (Jan 25) as Republic Day chief guest. The trip comes on the heels of expanded bilateral cooperation between New Delhi and Paris in key areas including defence.
Macron landed in the northern Jaipur city at 2:30 pm local time.
The talks between Macron and India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Jaipur will cover defence cooperation, collaboration in the vast Indo-Pacific region and the course on responses to challenges such as terrorism, climate crisis, biodiversity loss, poverty eradication, strengthening business ties, and cross-investments, the French embassy said in a statement.
India-France ties: Defence remains top focus
India ordered 36 Rafale jets from France in 2015 andthe Indian Air Force received the last of these fighter aircraft in December 2022.
In July 2023, during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Paris visit, the two countries signed up to "extend their ground-breaking defence cooperation in advanced aeronautical technologies by supporting the joint development of a combat aircraft engine", according to an official readout.
Macron's visit comes at a time when India is looking at buying 26 Rafale M fighters for the Indian Navy'sfirst indigenous aircraft carrier, the INS Vikrant.
As part of expanded defence cooperation, New Delhi and Parisalso plan to build three more Scorpene-class submarines with technology from France.
President Macron’s visit is also aimed at strengthening the France-India strategic partnership that the two leaders signed up in Paris on July 14 through the Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
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"Twenty-five years after the launch of their Strategic Partnership, France and India have embarked on new common goals for the next 25 years. Accordingly, President Macron’s talks with Prime Minister Modi will seek to advance our cooperation and finalise new initiatives under the three pillars of the road map," the French embassy said in an official readout.
The three pillars are "partnership for security and sovereignty, partnership for the planet, and partnership for the people".
India-France ties: Where do they stand?
France and India in recent years have developed a "trust-based cooperation" aimed at strengthening strategic autonomy.
The two countries are also key partners inthe Indo-Pacific region, where they remain "open to inviting strategic partner countries in the region to participate in Indo-French [naval] exercises".