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Published on: 02/17/2026 - 11:06 Modified on: 02/17/2026 - 11:07

Emmanuel Macron begins his fourth visit to India with a clear objective: to strengthen the French economic presence in a booming market. Accompanied by more than 110 business leaders, the Head of State wants to accelerate bilateral dynamics. Rafale, nuclear, tech… Paris wants to change scale on a huge market.

With 1.4 billion inhabitants and growth oscillating between 6 and 7%, India is on the way to becoming the fourth economic power in the world. However, Franco-Indian trade remains limited to around 15 billion euros per year, or three times less than those of Germany with New Delhi.

Nearly 1,100 French companies are established in the country, employing some 500,000 employees. A solid base, but still far from the potential of the Indian market.

Burst, nuclear and AI

The most spectacular file concerns the potential purchase of 114 Rafale combat aircraft, for an amount estimated between 30 and 40 billion euros. A memorandum of understanding could be signed during the visit, even if the final contract remains to be finalized.

In aeronautics, Airbus is also inaugurating a helicopter factory in India, an illustration of the “Make in India” program desired by Narendra Modi, which requires increasing local production.

Civil nuclear power is also on the agenda, with the reactor project led by EDF, under discussion for several years.

Finally, the visit focuses on tech. The Franco-Indian year of innovation is launched and the summit on artificial intelligence is being held in New Delhi. Emmanuel Macron intends to position France as a strategic partner of India vis-à-vis the United States and China, particularly on data, the cloud and AI.

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