Beyond Rafales and Scorpenes: How France became one of India's closest allies

• Macron to visit India for AI Impact Summit and bilateral talks.
• India may sign Rafale jet deal with France during Macron's visit.
• France is now India's third largest EU trading partner.

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French President Emmanuel Macron is set to visit to India from February 17 to 19 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi.

Macron will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Prime Minister in Mumbai during his fourth visit to India since he became the President

The visit comes just days after India cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets under a government-to-government framework with France in one its largest-ever defence acquisition push. Though the defence ministry did not provide the cost of the procurement, it is expected to be in the range of Rs 2.90 lakh crore to Rs 3.15 lakh crore.

There is a possibility that India and France may ink the inter-governmental pact on the project during Macron's trip to India.

Modi-Macron Bonhomie

Macron's visit comes as the India–France strategic partnership, launched in 1998, continues to expand across sectors. The partnership completed 25 years in 2023 and is moving towards what both sides have described as a new horizon of cooperation.

In recent years, Modi and Macron have met frequently at bilateral and multilateral forums. They met on July 14, 2023, on Bastille Day in Paris, and again on September 10, 2023, during the G20 Leaders’ Summit. They also held a brief interaction on the sidelines of COP-27 in Dubai on December 1, 2023.

President Macron visited India in January 2024 as Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations. Subsequent meetings took place in Italy in June 2024 during the G7 Summit, in Brazil in November 2024 on the sidelines of the G20 Summit, and in Paris and Marseille from February 10–12, 2025, during the Prime Minister’s visit for the AI Action Summit.

The two leaders also met on June 17, 2025, in Kananaskis, Canada, during the G7 Summit, and most recently on November 22, 2025, during the Johannesburg G20 Summit.

Deepending Trade and Investment 

Economic engagement between the two countries continues to deepen. India–France bilateral trade crossed $15 billion in 2024–25, with growing focus on aircraft, information technology, minerals and pharmaceuticals.

France became India’s third largest trading partner in the European Union in 2025, rising from seventh position in 2023.

More than 1,000 French companies operate in India. Major firms such as Sanofi, Capgemini, Renault, Schneider Electric, Airbus and Safran have established significant presence, with several building global capability centres in the country.

French companies in India include Airbus, Dassault, Eurocopter, Safran, Thales, Hager, Legrand, Schneider Electric, Arkema, L’Oréal Paris, Sanofi, TotalEnergies, BNP Paribas, Capgemini, Havas, Sodexo, Crouzet, Oberthur, STMicroelectronics, Bongrain, Lactalis, Lesaffre, Pernod Ricard, Faurecia, Michelin, Plastic Omnium, Renault, Valeo, Alstom, Cermex, Legris Group, Poclain and Side.

Around 120 Indian companies are present in France, including TCS, Infosys, Wipro, HCL Tech, Tech Mahindra, Aurobindo Pharma, Torrent Pharmaceuticals, Laurus Labs, Motherson Group, Mahindra & Mahindra and Tata Technologies.

Ahead of Macron's visit, Safran said that is ready to build an engine assembly line in India to meet the country's requirements for local production. Safran, which makes M-88 engines for the Dassault Aviation jet, will also buy parts from local suppliers to support India's aerospace industry.

Digital & Innovation Partnership

Digital cooperation is another key pillar of engagement. The Prime Minister co-chaired the AI Action Summit with President Macron in Paris in February 2025.

In February 2025, India and France signed a Bilateral Declaration on Artificial Intelligence, focusing on developing safe, secure, and trustworthy AI rooted in democratic values.

France also became the first country in Europe to enable UPI payments, beginning at the Eiffel Tower and expanding to Galeries Lafayette, La Vallée Village and other prominent locations.

Building on the strong momentum in science, technology and innovation, both countries will celebrate 2026 as the Year of Innovation.

The major agenda of Macron's visit to India is to attend the mega AI Impact Summit in Delhi.

Defence & Security Cooperation

The two countries also share strong defence ties, with France being India's second-largest arms supplier after Russia, accounting for 33% of New Delhi's arms imports (2020-24).

On November 26, 2025, the Prime Minister virtually inaugurated the world’s largest aircraft engine Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) facility operated by France’s Safran in Hyderabad.

India signed an agreement with France on April 28, 2025, to procure 26 Rafale fighter jets for the Indian Navy.

Now, India is planning to buy over a 100 Rafales to boost its air prowess and deepend security ties with Paris.

Military-to-military engagement also continues through regular exercises. Exercise Varuna was held from March 19–22, 2025, in the Arabian Sea. Exercise Shakti took place from June 18 to July 1, 2025, at Camp Larzac, France, while Exercise Garuda was conducted from November 16–27, 2025, at Mont-de-Marsan Airbase in France.

Army chief General Upendra Dwivedi met his French counterpart General Pierre Schill during his visit to France from February 24–27, 2025.

Meanwhile, French Navy ship Beautemps-Beaupré made a port call at Port Blair from May 24–28, 2025. Indian Naval Ship Tir and Indian Coast Guard Ship Sarathi visited La Réunion Island from September 8–11, 2025.

Space & Civil Nuclear Cooperation

Space collaboration continues to advance under the Trishna Mission, a joint French-Indian mission to acquire imagery of Earth’s surface in the visible and thermal infrared with unprecedented resolution and revisit frequency.

Cooperation has also deepened over civil nuclear energy. During the Prime Minister’s visit to France in February 2025, the two sides signed a Declaration of Intent to establish a partnership on Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

An Implementing Agreement was also signed between GCNEP of the Department of Atomic Energy, India, and INSTN of CEA, France, for training nuclear professionals.

Climate, Indo-Pacific & Global Cooperation

India and France have reiterated their commitment to a sustainable, equitable and resource-efficient future. France is co-chair of the International Solar Alliance and the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) for the period 2024–26.

In February 2025, the two countries announced the Indo-Pacific Triangular Development Cooperation Fund (IPTDC) to support climate and Sustainable Development Goal-focused projects in the Indo-Pacific region.

France is also one of the original signatories to the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEEC), announced in September 2023.

Education & People-to-People Ties

Education cooperation continues to expand, with a shared ambition to increase the number of Indian students in France from 10,000 to 30,000 by 2030. Under India’s New Education Policy 2020, French university campuses are being actively welcomed in India.

France is home to an estimated 119,000 Indians in mainland France. In February 2025, the Prime Minister and President Macron jointly inaugurated the Consulate General of India in Marseille.

Cultural connections remain strong, with Yoga, Indian cinema, dance and music enjoying widespread popularity in France.