Macron pushes for Rafale fighter jet deal on high-profile India trip
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French President Emmanuel Macron arrives in Mumbai on Feb 17, kicking off his three-day official visit to India.
PHOTO: AFP
MUMBAI – French President Emmanuel Macron is pulling out all the stops to court Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and persuade him to buy French fighter jets, beginning his fourth visit to India since his election in 2017 with considerable fanfare.
The trip comes as India moves closer to purchasing 114 Rafale jets in what would be one of its largest air force upgrades in recent years.
Earlier in February, a committee chaired by the Indian defence minister cleared the acquisition, though several steps remain before a formal contract is signed, including negotiations over price and local production.
Mr Macron arrived in Mumbai on Feb 16, where giant billboards lining the coastal road show him shaking hands with Mr Modi, as well as solo portraits welcoming him to India’s financial capital.
The French President is staying in a suite at the Taj Palace hotel with his wife Brigitte until Feb 18. He will then travel to New Delhi to attend an artificial intelligence summit
The two leaders are expected to promote shared regulatory frameworks as an alternative to AI conversations largely shaped by the United States or China.
The visit comes at a pivotal moment for both nations as they reassess their relationships
For India, France has become a key defence partner alongside Russia, with Paris offering joint production and technology transfers that support New Delhi’s goal of strengthening its domestic arms industry.
For Mr Macron, who is grappling with a fragmented Parliament
New Delhi recently moved closer to buying US$40 billion (S$50 billion) worth of arms, including six US maritime surveillance aircraft and 114 Dassault Rafale fighter jets, Bloomberg News reported last week.
French officials caution that the recent approval is not the final step. Tough negotiations lie ahead, particularly over the share of local production and the extent of technology transfers to India.
In 2020-24, the biggest share of French arms exports went to India, according to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute, a think-tank that tracks global defence equipment sales.
On Feb 17, Mr Modi and Mr Macron will virtually inaugurate a military helicopter assembly facility, a joint venture between European aerospace giant Airbus and India’s Tata Group.
Separately, the two countries’ defence ministers will meet in Bengaluru to discuss security ties. The two nations are expected to renew a defence cooperation agreement for another 10 years, according to India’s Ministry of Defence. BLOOMBERG
