“Welcome to India, my dear friend”, PM Modi’s special message on President Macron’s arrival, 114 Rafale deal may be approved

New Delhi/Mumbai: French President Emmanuel Macron has reached India on his three-day official visit. He reached Mumbai around midnight on Tuesday. Prime Minister Narendra Modi welcomed him on his arrival in India. Let us tell you that this is Macron’s fourth visit to India since taking charge in 2017.

Social media dialogue between PM Modi and President Macron

Welcoming President Macron on social media platform X, Prime Minister Modi wrote, “India is excited to welcome your visit. I am confident that our discussions will further strengthen cooperation in various fields and contribute to global progress. See you soon in Mumbai and then Delhi, my dear friend.”

Earlier, while sharing a photo from the plane window during his visit, President Macron had written, “On the way to India! Three days from Mumbai to New Delhi to take our strategic partnership even further.”

Main focus on AI and defense deal

The most discussed during Macron’s visit is expected to be on the possible multi-billion dollar deal for Rafale fighter planes and Artificial Intelligence (AI). The Defense Ministry and the Defense Acquisition Council have recently approved the purchase of 114 new Rafale fighter aircraft. Under this mega project of approximately ₹3.60 lakh crore, most of the aircraft will be manufactured in India under the ‘Make in India’ initiative. In view of the ongoing ‘India AI Impact Summit 2026’ in New Delhi, both the leaders will discuss Artificial Intelligence. It is likely that Macron will attend this mega event on Wednesday and Thursday.

economic and industrial cooperation

A high level delegation has also come to India along with President Macron. This delegation includes prominent business leaders, industrial giants and experts in the digital sector. The Free Trade Agreement (FTA) signed between India and the European Union (EU) in January has also given new impetus to this bilateral trade and defense cooperation. These meetings to be held in Mumbai and Delhi in the next three days are expected to take India-France relations to a new height in the areas of defence, technology and cultural exchange.

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