PM Modi, France's Macron hold delegation-level talks; unveil Airbus H125 assembly line in Karnataka

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday held wide-ranging delegation-level talks to deepen cooperation in key areas including trade, defence, energy and critical technologies.

Following the talks at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai, Modi and Macron digitally unveiled the final assembly line of Airbus H125 helicopters at Vemagal in Karnataka.

Addressing a joint press meet, Modi said he was “delighted” to welcome Macron to Mumbai, describing France as one of India’s oldest strategic allies.

“With the help of President Macron, we have given unprecedented depth and energy to this strategic partnership. Based on trust and a shared vision, we are establishing our relationship as a special global strategic partnership,” he said.

The Prime Minister said the H125 assembly line reflected the deep trust between the two countries.

“Together, India and France will produce helicopters capable of flying as high as Mount Everest, and we will also export them to the world,” he said, adding that the partnership stretched “from deep oceans to the tallest mountains”.

Modi also said 2026 would be a turning point in bilateral ties, noting that India’s recently concluded free trade agreement with the European Union would provide fresh momentum to India–France relations.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, French Defence Minister Catherine Vautrin and Indian Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal AP Singh were present at the inauguration ceremony in Karnataka.

Speaking on the occasion, Singh said investment under the H125 programme was expected to exceed Rs 1,000 crore and generate direct and indirect employment opportunities.

He noted that India’s defence exports had increased manifold in recent years, boosting MSMEs and the ancillary sector, and invited foreign companies to deepen partnerships through meaningful technology transfer.

Macron, who arrived in Mumbai early this morning on a three-day visit to India, is also scheduled to attend the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi and launch the India–France Year of Innovation.

His visit comes days after India cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Dassault Rafale fighter jets from France under a government-to-government framework, billed as one of the world’s largest military procurement programmes in recent years.

Earlier in the day, Modi welcomed Macron on social media, saying India looked forward to advancing bilateral relations “to new heights” and expressed confidence that their discussions would further strengthen cooperation across sectors and contribute to global progress.