French President Emmanuel Macron to visit India from Feb 17 to 19, defence deal could be on agenda
PM Modi and Emmanuel Macron will discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, it said. PM Modi and Macron will also be in Mumbai to jointly inaugurate the 'India-France Year of Innovation', the MEA said in a statement.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said that French President Emmanuel Macron will undertake a three-day visit to India from February 17. During the official visit, Macron will hold wide-ranging talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi besides attending the AI Impact summit. Both the leaders will hold discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas, the MEA said.
India-France Year of Innovation
In addition, the leaders will discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, it said. PM Modi and Macron will also be in Mumbai to jointly inaugurate the 'India-France Year of Innovation', the MEA said in a statement.
Know all about Horizon 2047 Roadmap
Apart from this, the two leaders are also likely to hold discussions on strengthening bilateral cooperation across a wide spectrum of areas as listed in the Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
It should be noted that the Horizon 2047 Roadmap is a 25-year strategic blueprint (2023–2047) between the two countries designed to strengthen bilateral cooperation in defence, space, technology, and sustainability.
Moreover, this entails framework of providing concrete solutions to make Indo-Pacific an area of stability and sustainable development.
Defence deals could be on agenda
Another significant part of Macron’s visit is that Indian Air Force's proposal for purchase of 114 more Rafale fighter jets could be brought before the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) ahead of the arrival of the French President.
Priced at over Rs 2 lakh crore, the defense project requires that more than 60% of the fighter’s content be manufactured in India. If approved, it would add significantly to the IAF’s current Rafale fleet, which stands at 36 aircraft, and the 26 more ordered by the Navy. The total number of Rafales in Indian service could eventually rise to 176.