A Three-Day Visit Anchored in AI and Defence
French President Emmanuel Macron, accompanied by Mrs Brigitte Macron, paid an official visit to India from February 17 to 19, 2026 — his fourth visit to India since 2017 — at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The visit began in Mumbai, where the two leaders jointly inaugurated the 2026 India-France Year of Innovation on February 17, before Macron travelled to New Delhi to participate in the AI Impact Summit 2026.
On this occasion, both leaders agreed to elevate the bilateral relationship to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership," building on the "Horizon 2047" Roadmap adopted in July 2023, which spans defence, space, civil nuclear energy, digital technology, and Indo-Pacific cooperation.
Defence Dialogue and Industrial Cooperation
Macron's delegation included French Minister of the Armed Forces Catherine Vautrin, who co-chaired the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with Rajnath Singh, underscoring the depth of defence engagement during the visit — which came just days after the DAC's clearance of the MRFA (Rafale) programme on February 12.
On February 17, PM Modi and President Macron virtually inaugurated India's first private-sector helicopter Final Assembly Line, for the Airbus H125, at Vemagal, Karnataka, a joint venture between Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus expected to produce 10 helicopters annually, with the first "Made in India" H125 expected in early 2027.
Overall, the two countries exchanged 21 agreements spanning defence, critical minerals, renewable energy, and high technology during the visit.
Exam-relevant facts: the visit dates (Feb 17-19, 2026), the new "Special Global Strategic Partnership" designation, and the Airbus H125 helicopter assembly line at Vemagal, Karnataka.
Source: pib.gov.in
