France’s chief of defence staff (CDS) General Fabien Mandon is in India to further strengthen the already strong strategic relationship between the two countries. During his visit to New Delhi, the French CDS met his Indian counterpart General Raja Subramani and defence secretary RK Singh. The top French general’s visit comes a month after PM Modi’s visit to the western European nation. Before this visit, French defence minister Catherine Vautrin had visited India in February to attend the the sixth annual defence dialogue, which was co-chaired by defence minister Rajnath Singh. Both India and France put a premium on self‑reliance and strategic autonomy.Top military leaders of both nations have exchanged several high‑level visits in the recent past. French chief of staff General Pierre Schill visited India twice in February 2024 and October 2025, while India’s chief of defence staff general Anil Chauhan travelled to France in April 2024. This was followed by chief of army staff General Upendra Dwivedi’s visit in February 2025. French Navy Chief Admiral Nicolas Vaujour attended the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium in Visakhapatnam in February 2026 and air chief marshal Amar Preet Singh visited France in June 2026. These visit demonstrate the growing importance that both nations put on each other.This reaffirmation builds on a long history of strong Indo‑French ties. Since both nations elevated their relationship to Strategic Partnership in 1998, it has extended cooperation across different sectors such as defence, civil nuclear cooperation and space. In recent years this relationship has expanded to newer domains such as artificial intelligence, renewable energy and Indo‑Pacific trilateral framework, which also includes Australia. Defence remains the core pillar, with milestones including the delivery of 36 Rafale jets in 2022, commissioning of the sixth Scorpene submarine in 2025, and the 2025 agreement for 26 Rafale‑M aircraft for the Indian Navy with technology transfer and indigenous integration. Safran’s Hyderabad‑based MRO centre inaugurated in 2025, this facility is capable of servicing as many as 300 LEAP engines annually, and its planned M88 engine shop further demonstrates the industrial depth of this partnership. The Airbus H125 helicopter assembly line in Karnataka, opened in 2026, adds another layer of joint production.The air force indicated that it would like to participate in a foreign sixth-generation fighter project, this opens the door for India to take part in the Future Combat Air System programme. This project was initiated by France, Spain and Germany, with Berlin now pulling out, there are greater opportunities for India, if it participates in the programme.Operational cooperation between the armed forces are equally robust. Annual exercises such as Shakti, Garuda and Varuna have grown in scale and complexity. The armed forces of both nations also engage each other through multilateral drills such as Milan and La Perouse. Then navies of both the nations hold regular interactions through port calls.India’s defence industry has also made a strong showing at Eurosatory 2026, the world’s largest land and air‑land defence exhibition. With 31 Indian entities participating, including DRDO, BEL, KSSL and MKU, the event highlights India’s ambition to position itself as a credible supplier of advanced technologies. Domestically developed systems such as the Pinaka guided rocket, Very Short Range Air Defence (VSHORAD), Rudram anti‑radiation missile and MArG‑39 artillery gun were showcased at the event.During the French defence minister’s visit to India in February, the two sides announced reciprocal officer deployments at each other’s army establishments, a step that deepens institutional integration and enhances interoperability. Industrial collaboration was also advanced, with Bharat Electronics Limited and Safran Electronics & Defence signing an MoU to manufacture HAMMER missiles in India, embedding French expertise into India’s indigenous ecosystem and reducing reliance on imports.India has since the 1950s been procuring french weapons and systems, with India acquiring the Dassault Ouragan (locally known as the Toofani) fighter in 1953. India also acquired the AMX-13 tank, the Dassault Mystere fighter, Alize anti-submarine aircraft, Mirage-2000, Chetak and Cheetah helicopters from France. Through the decades cementing its relationship as a strong defence partner of India.The Indo‑French defence partnership is based on the desire of both the countries to maintain strategic autonomy. New Delhi and Paris are shaping a resilient, multi‑layered cooperation that spans military, industrial and strategic domains. With reciprocal deployments, joint production, advanced technology transfer and expanding operational exercises, the partnership is not only bilateral but embedded in wider regional and global frameworks. In a complex security environment, France has cemented its position as a trusted partner in India’s modernisation journey.
