India, France to Hold 6th Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, French Counterpart to Co-Chair 6th India–France Defence Dialogue
GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 15th Feb: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will co-chair the 6th India–France Annual Defence Dialogue with French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Catherine Vautrin in Bengaluru on February 17, the government said on Saturday.
The ministerial-level talks will review the full spectrum of bilateral defence cooperation, with a focus on expanding industrial ties between the two countries.
During the meeting, a defence cooperation agreement between India and France is expected to be renewed for another ten years. An MoU for a joint venture to manufacture Hammer missiles is also likely to be signed in the presence of both defence ministers.
An announcement is also expected regarding reciprocal deployment of officers between the Indian Army and the French Land Forces establishments.
The two ministers are set to witness the virtual inauguration of the H125 Light Utility Helicopter final assembly line of Tata Airbus at Vemagal in Karnataka. The facility will be inaugurated jointly by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
Defence has long been a central pillar of India–France relations. The strength of the partnership was reflected in recent high-level exchanges, with Prime Minister Modi attending the Bastille Day Parade in Paris in July 2023 as Guest of Honour, and President Macron serving as Chief Guest at India’s Republic Day celebrations in 2024.
Military-to-military engagement between the two countries has also intensified, with regular conduct of the three major bilateral exercises—Exercise Shakti (Army), Exercise Varuna (Navy), and Exercise Garuda (Air Force)—along with other operational interactions.
The upcoming visit will be the first to India by Catherine Vautrin since she assumed office as France’s Defence Minister in October 2025. The India–France Annual Defence Dialogue serves as a structured platform at the ministerial level to review and guide bilateral defence and security cooperation. The fifth edition of the dialogue was held in France in October 2023.
