France, India agreed on joint production of submarines and helicopters

President of France Emmanuel Macron (photo: Getty Images)

India and France have agreed to work together on the joint production of defense equipment including helicopters and submarines for the Indian armed forces and production for friendly countries, according to Reuters.

The deal was reached during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India. The countries have reportedly committed to expanding bilateral ties in defense manufacturing, nuclear energy, space research, and the use of artificial intelligence for public services.

Additionally, Tata Group and Airbus have signed an agreement to manufacture civilian helicopters together. French jet engine maker CFM International also announced an agreement with India’s Akasa Air to buy more than 300 of its LEAP-1B engines to power 150 Boeing aircraft.

Moreover, India and France agreed to intensify cooperation in the southwest Indian Ocean.

What preceded this

Earlier, the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs claimed that Russia and India had supposedly made significant progress in negotiations regarding plans for joint production of military equipment. However, no details about the concluded agreements or reached understandings of cooperation in the defense sector between the countries were reported.

According to publicly available information, the Indian military possesses Russian Su-30MKI aircraft, Mi-17 helicopters, S-400 air defense systems, and T-90 tanks.