France's Macron in India to boost Rafale deal talks, AI ties

Emmanuel Macron is in India at a time when the country is looking to upgrade its air force, with the Indian government giving preliminary approval to buy more than 100 additional Rafale jets last week.

French President Emmanuel Macron is in India for a three-day visit aimed at shoring up defense and AI ties with the South Asian country.

Macron met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday in Mumbai, where the leaders were to discuss expanding military partnership between the two countries. 

After meeting with  Modi, Macron praised the "remarkable acceleration" of relations with India.

The French leader said the shift came in response to the "changing international order," adding that neither France nor India wanted to "be subjected to any form of hegemony" or the "conflict of a few."

Macron is also to attend the global AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi in the next days.

"Through this visit, we seek to further strengthen cooperation" with India and to diversify France's economic and trade partnerships, Macron's office said.

Modi welcomes Macron to India

Modi said ties between the two countries were "very special."

"The India-France partnership knows no boundaries, it can reach from deep oceans to the tallest mountain," Modi said. "In today's turbulent world, this is a partnership for global stability."

Macron visit amid talks on Rafale megadeal 

An Indian government panel last week gave its preliminary approval for the purchase of additional Rafale fighter jets and maritime patrol aircraft in deals valued at billions of dollars, India's Defense Ministry said.

The purchases are worth $40 billion (€33.7 billion).

India is yet to publicly share the number of jets it was hoping to order, or their price point. But multiple reports noted that the initial clearance makes way for 114 Rafale jets, among other military equipment.

Christophe Jaffrelot, a professor of Indian politics at Sciences Po Center for International Studies in Paris, told AFP that the potential deal is the "contract of the century" and a potential "crowning achievement" for bilateral ties.

Maintaining air power is a strategic priority for India, which faces persistent security challenges along its borders with nuclear-armed rivals Pakistan and China.

New Delhi has sought to reduce its military dependence on Russia, which is still India's largest defense supplier, and is now looking to boost defense production at home.

Since 2015, India has bought 26 Rafale jets worth around $8.7 billion, and in April 2025, it announced a fresh multibillion-dollar deal to buy 26 Rafale marine fighter jets. 

Edited by: Roshni Majumdar