India rolls out red carpet for Macron as France eyes trade deals
India: President Emmanuel Macron was given a red carpet welcome and an elephant honour guard yesterday as he started a two-day visit to India, with France eyeing lucrative deals with the world’s fifth-largest economy.
Landing in Jaipur, state capital of Rajasthan, Macron will be hosted by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a banquet in a 19th-century maharaja’s palace.
On Friday, he will be the chief guest in New Delhi at a colourful 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 Delhi’s close ties with Moscow — India’s key military supplier — the US and its European allies 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.
Modi was guest of honour at France’s annual Bastille Day celebrations last July, and Macron is to receive a similar welcome.
The French president was last in India for the G20 summit in September.
Paris and New Delhi collaborate on space and satellite technology, and the French delegation includes astronaut Thomas Pesquet.
On Friday, Macron will watch a military parade in New Delhi for Republic Day, the 75th anniversary of India’s constitution.