Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday warmly welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron, who arrived in Mumbai around midnight to begin a three-day visit to India. This is Macron’s fourth trip to the country since assuming office in 2017.
Taking to X, PM Modi said India looks forward to the French leader’s visit and expressed confidence that their discussions would deepen cooperation across sectors and contribute to global progress. “See you in Mumbai and later in Delhi, my dear friend @EmmanuelMacron,” he wrote in response to Macron’s post.
Earlier, Macron had shared a photo from his flight to India, writing, “En route to India! Three days from Mumbai to New Delhi to take our strategic partnership even further.” Accompanied by leading figures from business, industry, culture, and the digital sector, he signalled his intent to further strengthen bilateral ties. “Together, we will go even further in our cooperation. See you tomorrow, my dear friend @NarendraModi,” he added.
Indo-French Talks
The discussions between the two leaders are expected to focus on artificial intelligence, especially in the context of the India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, where Macron may participate. Defence cooperation is also high on the agenda, including a potential multibillion-dollar agreement for Dassault Aviation’s Rafale fighter jets as France seeks to expand its military partnership with India.
Rafale Deal
Recently, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and the Defence Acquisition Council approved the procurement of additional Rafale jets, with most of them set to be manufactured in India. Earlier this year, a proposal worth ₹3.60 lakh crore was cleared for the acquisition of 114 new Rafale jets from Dassault Aviation.
The recently signed free trade agreement between India and the European Union in January is also seen as a factor supporting the strengthening of defence and economic ties between the two sides.
