Rafale induction: French defence minister Florence Parly to visit India

French defence minister Florence Parly will make an official visit to India on September 10. Parly will attend ceremony marking induction of first batch of Rafale combat jets into Indian Air Force. The two sides will take forward cooperation in key areas like Indo-Pacific and joint exercises. This will be Parly's third official visit to India since 2017. Parly's visit is aimed at strengthening France's 'forward-looking defence cooperation with India'. Parly will meet her Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh and National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. Parly will also pay a floral tribute to India's soldiers at Delhi's National War Memorial. The Rafale jets induction ceremony will be held at air force station Ambala. On her visit to Ambala, Parly will be received by Rajnath Singh and IAF chief. French minister's delegation will include top executives from Dassault Aviation among others. They will represent French defence majors that have partnered with Indian firms.