President Emmanuel Macron arrives as the guest of honour in India on Thursday with a sumptuous palace feast and colourful military parade, as France eyes lucrative deals with the world’s fifth-biggest economy.
Macron will be offered a red carpet welcome by Prime Minister Narendra Modi with dinner in a 19th-century maharaja’s palace, and as chief guest at a military march past with massed ranks of tanks, dancing troupes, camel cavalry and a fighter jet fly-past.
India’s foreign ministry says New Delhi and Paris are “strategic partners”, while the French presidency says the trip will “consolidate and deepen diplomatic and economic relations”.
Despite concerns over human rights, differences over the war in Ukraine and close ties with Moscow India’s key military supplier Western democracies are courting New Delhi as a military and economic counterweight to China.
France hopes to build on its military contracts after the Indian defence ministry purchased French-made Rafale fighter jets and Scorpene-class submarines in multibillion-dollar deals.
Macron who, according to Indian media, is coming after US President Joe Biden was unable to take up an invite is also hoping France can sell six EPR nuclear reactors.
