French President Emmanuel Macron will attend the India AI Impact Summit this week and meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the two countries deepen ties.
Macron is among heads of state, policymakers and AI leaders across the world who will be at the summit, which starts on Monday in Delhi, according to a statement by India’s Ministry of External Affairs. Macron’s official schedule includes a meeting with Modi.
The French leader’s visit comes at a time when India is making efforts to diversify and deepen strategic ties beyond long-time suppliers of military equipment. Last week, it approved $40 billion worth of arms, including 114 French fighter jets and missiles, Bloomberg News reported.
The planned purchases — one of the largest air power upgrades in recent years — includes Dassault Aviation SA Rafale fighters and several hundred SCALP cruise missiles.
India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh will meet his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin to discuss boosting collaboration, the South Asian nation said in a separate release Sunday. At that meeting in Bengaluru on Tuesday, a defense cooperation pact is expected to be renewed for another decade, with an understanding on a joint venture to produce Hammer missiles.
An announcement on reciprocal deployment of officers between the Indian and French forces is also anticipated.
In addition to the 114 Rafales, India has asked France to supply it with another 31 of the aircraft for use by its navy, French newspaper La Tribune reported Sunday. Representatives of Dassault Aviation didn’t reply to an email seeking comment outside of business hours.
Discover the latest Business News, Sensex, and Nifty updates. Obtain Personal Finance insights, tax queries, and expert opinions on Moneycontrol or download the Moneycontrol App to stay updated!
Find the best of Al News in one place, specially curated for you every weekend.
Stay on top of the latest tech trends and biggest startup news.
