Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Mumbai on Monday, with a major defence agreement worth ₹3.25 lakh crore set to be signed between the two countries. The deal, which includes the procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets, is expected to be India’s costliest military agreement to date. The meeting at Lok Bhavan was scheduled for 3:15 pm, where the two leaders discussed defence cooperation, maritime security, the Indo-Pacific strategy, emerging technologies, artificial intelligence and key global issues. Later at 5:15 pm, Modi and Macron will jointly inaugurate the India-France Innovation Year 2026. The leaders are also slated to address industrialists, startup founders, research experts and members of the innovation ecosystem. President Macron is on a three-day visit to India from February 17 to 19. During his trip, he will also attend the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi. Also Read | India’s urgency behind purchasing 114 Rafales:Air Force short of 13 squadrons; will these Rafales cover the deficit? Also Read | India and France to jointly manufacture HAMMER missile:IAF used it during Op Sindoor; how does it improve Rafale Tejas fighter jets? Post navigation Gautam Adani says ‘India will become a creator of AI’:Adani Group commits $100 billion investment to build one of world’s largest AI infrastructures in India Delegates troubled by overcrowding mismanagement at India AI Summit:Stood in queues for hours, some had their belongings stolen; Ashwini Vaishnaw apologises
