New Delhi: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will co-chair the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with France’s Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, Catherine Vautrin, in Bengaluru on February 17, as per an official release by the Ministry of Defence. The meeting will review the entire gamut of bilateral defence cooperation, with a focus on expanding industrial collaboration, the release stated.
During the dialogue, a defence cooperation agreement is expected to be renewed for another 10 years.
An MoU on a joint venture for the manufacturing of Hammer missiles is also likely to be signed in the presence of both Defence Ministers. An announcement is expected regarding the reciprocal deployment of officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments. The two Ministers are also expected to witness the virtual inauguration of the H125 Light Utility Helicopter Final Assembly of Tata Airbus by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron at Vemagal, Karnataka, the release noted.
Defence has traditionally formed an important pillar of the India-France relationship. The strong bilateral ties were reflected in 2024-2025 through a series of high-profile exchanges. PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade in July 2023, and the French President attended the Republic Day Parade 2024 as the Chief Guest. The recent India-EU Security & Defence Partnership marked a significant step in deepening engagement with European nations.
Military-to-military cooperation has been increasing, with India and France regularly conducting three major exercises which includes Exercise Shakti (Army), Exercise Varuna (Navy) and Exercise Garuda(Air Force) as well as several other engagements. This will be Catherine Vautrin’s first visit to India since assuming office as the French Defence Minister on October 12, 2025. The India-France Annual Defence Dialogue is a structured ministerial-level bilateral meeting that reviews and guides defence and security cooperation. The 5th edition of the dialogue was held in France from October 11-13, 2023.
(With Inputs from ANI)
