Live Updates: Defence Ties Take Centre-Stage As PM Modi Visits France
NDTV
PM Modi in France: PM Modi will be the guest of honour for the July 14 military parade, which kicks off France's national day celebrations
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has arrived in Paris for a two-day visit to France today. He will attend the traditional Bastille Day military parade as guest of honour and discuss major new defence deals. PM Modi will be the guest of honour for the July 14 military parade, which kicks off France's national day celebrations, with the participation of Indian troops and Indian-flown French-made fighter jets underlining close defence ties.
French President Emmanuel Macron's red-carpet welcome for PM Modi comes weeks after he was given the rare honour of a White House state dinner in Washington.
India is one of the biggest buyers of French arms, with PM Modi announcing a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets during a trip to Paris in 2015 that was worth around 4.0 billion euros ($4.24 billion) at the time.
He is set to unveil the purchase of another 26 marine versions of the state-of-the-art aircraft during this visit, as well as a deal for three Scorpene-class submarines, according to reports.
