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Talks between India and France on the Rafale fighter jet programme have advanced, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri said on Sunday, while underlining New Delhi's push for greater local content and local manufacturing in defence cooperation. Briefing reporters after talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, Misri said the Rafale programme figured in the discussions between the two leaders. He said the Modi-Macron talks covered the entire range of bilateral relations, including civil nuclear energy, defence, security, space, trade and investment, technology, innovation, education, mobility and people-to-people ties. In response to a question on the Rafale programme, Misri said, "Talks between the two countries have advanced." He further said Prime Minister Modi has been pushing for taking forward the "Make in India" initiative as well as a framework of "co-development, co-design, co-production" in defence projects. "There were talks on Rafale and
Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday sought investments from France in the manufacturing sector. Speaking at the 'Bharat Innovates' event in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice, France, Goyal said India can offer a huge talent pool and scale for manufacturing. "I would invite our French friends to visit India, invest in India, design in India, innovate in India and manufacture in India, both for the large domestic market and export from India to the rest of the world," he said. He added that in the uncertain global economic environment, the world is seeking partnership with trusted and reliable partners. "...and that is what India brings to the table," Goyal said, adding that in India, innovation is now a culture which is powered by 2,30,000 startups. Modi is currently in France, where he is scheduled to hold talks with Macron and also attend the G-7 Summit. He landed in Nice on Saturday, kickstarting a week-lo
French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday said India is a nation of innovation, adding that both countries have a true partnership in critical sectors like AI and climate change. Macron was addressing the Bharat Innovates event which he inaugurated with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Nice. "We respect the Make-in-India initiative. France has been part of it in diverse sectors," Macron said. "India is a country of innovation. India and France have a true partnership in critical sectors like AI and climate change," he said. "There is scope to expand bilateral cooperation in civil nuclear energy sector, including in the area of Small Modular Reactors," Macron said. Bharat Innovates 2026 is a flagship initiative by the Indian government designed to accelerate the country's deep-tech startups and research ventures on a global stage. The event brings together top innovation startups and Venture Capital funds from India, France, and other countries. Modi is currently in France, where
India and France on Monday carried out a comprehensive review of their bilateral ties in areas of civil nuclear energy, defence, space and digital cooperation against the backdrop of the West Asia conflict. In their talks in Paris, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri and Secretary-General of the French Foreign Ministry Martin Briens also exchanged views on the evolving situation in West Asia. The talks were held under the framework of India-France Foreign Office Consultations. Separately, Foreign Secretary Misri also met French Foreign Minister Jean-Noel Barrot and Emmanuel Bonne, the diplomatic advisor to the French president. Misri travelled to Paris after concluding a three-day trip to the US. "Both sides undertook a comprehensive review of the progress made in various facets of the bilateral relationship, especially in context of the elevation of ties to Special Global Strategic Partnership and the visit of President (Emmanuel) Macron to India in February," the Ministry of External
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri will undertake a three-day visit to Paris and Berlin beginning Sunday for high-level talks on energy, trade and defence -- sectors that have become increasingly critical amid a fractured geopolitical landscape. Misri's visit to France and Germany comes at the end of his trip to the US, where he met Secretary of State Marco Rubio and a number of other senior officials of the Trump administration. The West Asia crisis and its impact on energy security are expected to figure prominently in Misri's talks with the interlocutors in Paris and Berlin. In Paris, the foreign secretary will co-chair the India-France Foreign Office Consultations along with Martin Briens, the secretary general of the French Foreign Ministry, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement on Saturday. Both Misri and Briens will discuss a wide range of issues, including defence, civil nuclear energy, space, cyber and digital, artificial intelligence and initiatives ...