Macron touches down in India amid $35 Billion Rafale deal talks

WEB DESK: French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron arrived in Mumbai, India on Tuesday for a high-stakes three-day visit, marking Macron’s fourth trip to India since 2017. The visit underlines a growing “strategic chemistry” between Paris and New Delhi.

At the centre of discussions is a potential deal for 114 Dassault Rafale fighter jets, dubbed by analysts as the “contract of the century.” If finalised, these jets would join the 36 already serving in the Indian Air Force and 26 ordered for the Navy.

Macron visit highlights Rafales and AI collaboration

According to AFP, he purchase is expected to be more than a simple acquisition. India’s defence ministry has indicated that the majority of the new jets would be manufactured locally, aligning with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s push to reduce reliance on foreign imports and strengthen domestic aerospace capabilities.

For decades, Russia has been India’s primary arms supplier. However, New Delhi is now looking westward, diversifying its arsenal with French technology amid global shifts and the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, where India has maintained a neutral stance.

The visit is not limited to military hardware. Macron is scheduled to attend an Artificial Intelligence summit in New Delhi, with both nations exploring collaboration on “sovereign AI” to ensure they remain competitive against US and Chinese tech giants.

However, the leaders will virtually inaugurate India’s first helicopter final assembly line. A joint venture between the Tata Group and Airbus, the facility in Karnataka will produce the H125 helicopter.

With bilateral trade standing at $18b, the talks also aim to secure “Trump-proof” economic strategies, as uncertainty over US tariffs continues. The France-India partnership is increasingly being positioned as a stabilising force in the Indo-Pacific region.

With shared strategic goals and reportedly “good chemistry” between the leaders, the outcome of the Rafale negotiations will be closely watched. Analysts suggest that this visit could represent a crowning achievement in Indo-French relations.