French President Emmanuel Macron is on a three-day visit to India to strengthen a strategic partnership and reduce dependence on the United States and China. As part of the visit, he is expected to finalise what has been described as a historic deal for the sale of over a hundred Rafale fighter jets.
The visit, from Tuesday to Thursday, is Macron’s fourth since France launched its Indo-Pacific strategy in 2018. The strategy is designed to reinforce alliances in the region to counter China’s growing influence.
Macron is leading delegation that includes the heads of major French companies in the energy, nuclear and defence sectors, as well as founders of artificial intelligence start-ups.
A highlight of the visit is expected to be the signing of a contract for the sale of 114 Rafale fighter jets built by Dassault Aviation, after India’s Defence Ministry approved the purchase on Thursday.
Valued at €33 billion, it would be the largest contract in the company’s history.
The French presidency has described the agreement as “historic”.
Since 2016, India has bought 36 Rafale jets for its air force and 26 for its navy.
The deal consolidates Dassault’s presence in one of the world’s most fastest-growing defence markets.
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For France, which is seeking to diversify partnerships away from the United States and China, the deal reinforces trade ties with India, which is set to become the world’s fourth-largest economy.
According to the French presidency, trade between the two countries currently stands at €15 billion, but there is room for growth.
Macron’s visit follows the conclusion of a landmark free trade agreement between the European Union and India at the end of January.
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The final part of the visit will focus on artificial intelligence. Macron will attend the AI Impact Summit organised by Indian Prime Minister Narenda Modi, who was the guest of honour at France’s own AI summit in Paris at the start of 2025.
The objective is to support alternatives to AI models dominated by the US or China.
The French presidency says France is advocating a vision of AI that serves the public interest, with particular attention to child protection.
France’s Minister for Digital Affairs, Anne Le Hénanff, will host an event to promote a laboratory dedicated to online child safety, and to discuss measures such as age verification for access to certain online content.
(with newswires)
