PM in France | Modi describes India as ‘model of diversity’ and announces agreement for use of UPI in France
The Hindu
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s first day in France was interpreted as a step towards closer military cooperation between the two countries, as India was gearing up to acquire 26 new Rafale-M fighter jets that will fit into India’s maritime military plans.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi addressed the Indian diaspora in France on July 13 and described India as a “model of diversity” and announced an agreement for the use of UPI in France, opening a huge new market for the Indian innovation in cashless instant payment.
His two-day visit to France was interpreted as a step towards closer military cooperation between the two countries, as India was gearing up to acquire 26 new Rafale-M fighter jets that will fit into India’s maritime military plans.
The Defence Ministry said that India intended to order 26 more Rafale jets as well as another three Scorpene-class submarines, with the price and other terms still being worked out.
India has been one of the biggest buyers of French arms, and Mr. Modi announced a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets during a 2015 trip to Paris that was worth around €4 billion at the time.
In his nearly an hour-long speech to the enthusiastic crowd at the La Seine Musicale — a performing arts centre on an island in the river Seine — PM Modi outlined India’s fast-paced development and asserted that while the world is moving towards a new order, India’s strength and role are also changing very quickly.
He mentioned India’s presidency of the G-20 in this context and noted how the world has been left impressed by the way the country has been hosting various events.
Mr. Modi also announced the opening of a new Indian consulate in Marseille in France and told the cheerful audience that Indian students doing masters in the European country will now get five-year-long post-study work visas.
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