French President Emmanuel Macron Begins Three-Day Visit to India; Rafale Deal, AI Talks on Agenda

French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mumbai early Tuesday for a three-day visit to India, marking his fourth trip to the country since taking office in 2017. He was welcomed at the airport by Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, and other dignitaries. Macron and his wife Brigitte Macron will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later on Tuesday.

The Indo-French talks are expected to focus on artificial intelligence cooperation and a potential multibillion-dollar deal for Dassault Rafale fighter jets, as France seeks to expand its military partnership with India. Discussions are ongoing for a contract covering 114 additional Rafale jets, which would be largely manufactured in India.

Following Mumbai, Macron will travel to New Delhi to attend the India AI Impact Summit on Wednesday and Thursday, further cementing technological and strategic ties between the two nations.

Rafale deal details:
Last week, India’s Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, approved the purchase of 114 Rafale jets from Dassault Aviation in a proposal valued at ₹3.60 lakh crore. This would complement India’s existing fleet of 36 Rafales for the Air Force and 26 for the Navy.

Christophe Jaffrelot, India specialist at Sciences Po Centre for International Studies in Paris, described the potential €30 billion ($35 billion) deal as the “contract of the century” and a landmark for bilateral ties. While negotiations are ongoing, the French presidency expressed optimism that a historic agreement could be finalized soon.

The visit comes shortly after India and the European Union signed a landmark free trade agreement in January, described by officials as the “mother of all deals,” further deepening strategic and economic engagement between India and France.