Emmanuel Macron visits India, with the sale of 114 Rafale fighters | EUROtoday

Emmanuel Macron meets, Tuesday February 17, the Indian Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, in Bombay, the financial capital of the nation, to strengthen the bilateral strategic partnership, with the sale of 114 Rafale fighters and a foothold in synthetic intelligence.

The French head of state, arriving in the course of the night time, will first pay tribute to the victims of the Bombay assaults in 2008 on the Taj Mahal Palace. The assaults, carried out in entrance of tv cameras all over the world, left 166 individuals lifeless, together with two French individuals. For three days, the attackers carried out assaults with AK-47 assault rifles and grenades throughout the metropolis, together with on this legendary lodge from the colonial period.

Emmanuel Macron will then meet, over lunch, six stars of Indian cinema, of which Bombay is the capital with the Bollywood studios, a machine for international blockbusters. He intends to evoke the “possible cooperation” on this space and “highlight the attractiveness of France for filming”specifies the Elysée.

The Indian Prime Minister will be a part of his host round 3 p.m. (10:30 a.m. in Paris) for a sequence of interviews, adopted by statements to the press and a dinner within the setting of the Taj Mahal Palace. The exchanges promise to be below one of the best auspices after affirmation by India of its intention to buy 114 further Rafale fight plane, an unprecedented order for the producer Dassault, which might be added to the 62 already acquired.

“Discussions will focus on the consolidation of the strategic partnership and its diversification into new and emerging sectors”affirmed the providers of Narendra Modi. They will permit “continue to anchor the bilateral relationship by turning it resolutely towards the future”added the Elysée.

Franco-Indian Year of Innovation

The two leaders will inaugurate collectively, remotely, an meeting line for Airbus helicopters, the H125, situated 1,000 kilometers away, close to Bangalore (South), the Indian technological capital. This line, the development of which was introduced in the course of the French president’s final go to to India in January 2024, must be operational in April and the primary flight of the H125 made in India, pricey to the Indian authorities, ought to happen on the finish of the yr.

The first Airbus helicopter meeting line, managed by a personal Indian group, Tata Group, was designed to ultimately produce the navy variant of the H125, known as H125M.

The two leaders will then kick off the Franco-Indian yr of innovation. The international dysfunction generated by Donald Trump’s everlasting assaults, from customs duties to diplomacy, in addition to the rise of China may even be on the coronary heart of the interviews.

Narendra Modi has not condemned the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, India’s conventional associate, however he visited kyiv in September 2024 and is below strain from Donald Trump to cut back Indian imports of Russian oil.

The French president and the Indian prime minister may even “explore possible convergences” For “defend and promote multilateralism at a time when it is particularly called into question”underlines the Elysée.

The remainder of the go to might be positioned below the signal of synthetic intelligence (AI), with an inaugural dinner on Wednesday night in New Delhi of the Global Summit for the Impact of AI, earlier than its efficient opening on Thursday. This assembly, at which round fifteen heads of state are anticipated, within the wake of the Paris summit on AI, in February 2025, will have a look at funding within the sector, “scientific research in favor of the general interest” And “access by all to technological tools”in keeping with the Elysée.