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'Welcome to India, my dear friend': PM Modi to France's Macron ahead of Mumbai meeting
Emmanuel Macron arrived in India to deepen strategic ties and hold talks on AI and a major Rafale fighter jet contract during his three-day visit.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday welcomed French President Emmanuel Macron after he landed in Mumbai around midnight, kickstarting a three-day visit to India,
This marks Macron's fourth visit to the country since taking office in 2017.
PM Modi wrote on his X handle that the country looks forward to the French President's visit. He also expressed confidence that their discussions will further strengthen cooperation across sectors and contribute to global progress.
“See you in Mumbai and later in Delhi, my dear friend @EmmanuelMacron,” Modi wrote on X.
Modi replied to Macron's X post where the French President posted a picture of the view from an aircraft window, seemingly taken during his flight to India late on Monday.
“En route to India! Three days from Mumbai to New Delhi to take our strategic partnership even further,” Macron wrote on X.
Accompanied by business leaders and the economic, industrial, cultural and digital players, he expressed willingness in boosting ties between India and France during his three-day visit.
“Together, we will go even further in our cooperation. See you tomorrow, my dear friend @NarendraModi,” he wrote.
Also read | France's Emmanuel Macron lands in Mumbai, to meet PM Narendra Modi today; new Rafale deal on cards
Indo-French talks
Talks between the two world leaders are likely to circle around artificial intelligence in the light of the ongoing India AI Impact Summit 2026 in New Delhi, with chances of Macron gracing the mega event with his presence on Wednesday and Thursday.
Follow live updates of AI Summit 2026 here
The topic of discussion would also involve a potential multibillion-dollar deal for Dassault Rafale fighter jets, as the European nation plans to expand its military partnership with New Delhi, HT earlier reported.
A contract for 114 additional French fighter jets is also expected to be signed.
Rafale deal
Last week, Union defence minister Rajnath Singh and the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) cleared the purchase of Rafale fighter jets, saying that the majority of them would be manufactured in India.
This follows a proposal worth ₹3.60 lakh crore was cleared to procure 114 new Rafale jets from France's Dassault Aviation earlier this February, HT reported.
The signing of the free trade agreement between India and the European Union in January also seemed to play a role in the signing of the latest deal.
