French President Emmanuel Macron will meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai on Tuesday, as he begins a three-day visit to India focused on artificial intelligence cooperation and a potential multibillion dollar fighter jet deal.
France is seeking to expand its military partnership with New Delhi, with discussions expected on a possible contract for 114 additional French Dassault Rafale fighter jets, said AFP.
Modi, in a statement on social media addressed to his "dear friend" Macron, after he began his trip with his wife Brigitte in India's financial capital, said he looked forward to "advancing our bilateral ties to new heights".
Modi, who will meet Macron later on Tuesday afternoon, said he was "confident that our discussions will further strengthen cooperation".
Macron, on his fourth visit to India since taking office in 2017, began on Tuesday with a program including honoring the victims of the 2008 Mumbai attacks, and meeting Bollywood film stars, including Shabana Azmi and Manoj Bajpayee.
He also called Modi his "dear friend", in post on X, saying they will "go even further" in cooperation.
The visit follows New Delhi's confirmation last week that it intends to place a major order for Rafale jets, as well as the signing of a landmark free trade agreement between India and the European Union in January.
Macron will travel to New Delhi for an artificial intelligence summit on Wednesday and Thursday.
- 'Contract of the century' -
New Delhi has sought over the past decade to reduce its dependence on Russia, its traditional main supplier of military equipment, turning to other countries while also pushing for more domestic production.
An Indian defense ministry statement last week said the proposed purchase of Rafale jets had been cleared -- with "the majority" of them to be manufactured in India.
Christophe Jaffrelot, an India specialist at Sciences Po Center for International Studies in Paris, described the potential EUR30 billion ($35 billion) deal for 114 Rafales as the "contract of the century".
If finalized, the jets would add to the 62 Rafales that India has already purchased.
The French presidency has voiced optimism that what it calls a "historic" agreement could be reached.
- 'Good chemistry' -
Modi and Macron will also inaugurate on Tuesday, via videoconference, India's first helicopter final assembly line, a joint venture between India's Tata Group and Airbus.
The facility in Vemagal, in the southern state of Karnataka near the tech hub of Bengaluru, will manufacture the Airbus H125, the company's best-selling single-engine helicopter.
France has emerged as one of India's most important defense and economic partners in the last decade.
"Through this visit, we seek to further strengthen cooperation" with India, and to "diversify" France's economic and trade partnerships, Macron's office said.
India, the world's most populous country with 1.4 billion people, is on track to become the fourth-largest economy globally.
This week's talks are also expected to address global economic uncertainty triggered by tariff policies under US President Donald Trump, as well as China's influence in the region.
Bilateral trade between France and India, driven largely by defense and aerospace -- India's commercial fleet includes a substantial number of Airbus aircraft -- stands at around EUR15 billion ($18 billion) annually.
French foreign direct investment in India totals nearly EUR13 billion ($15 billion).
The two leaders will also be keen to nurture close personal ties.
"There is apparently a good chemistry, a good personal rapport," Jaffrelot said.
One sensitive issue remains Ukraine: India has not condemned Russia's 2022 invasion and has continued buying oil from Moscow.
US President Donald Trump has said India had committed to halting the purchases, though that has not been formally confirmed by New Delhi.
"If the Indians stop buying Russian oil, they won't be blamed for abstaining at the UN," Jaffrelot added.
