General Upendra Dwivedi's visit to France highlights the growing defence cooperation between India and France.
On his visit to Marseille, he was given an overview of the French Army's modernisation programme, Scorpion, which aims to upgrade combat capabilities with advanced platforms.
This visit is a part of his four-day official tour, which began on February 24. During his time in France, he is also being briefed on the ongoing training collaboration between the two armies.
Strengthening military ties remains a crucial aspect of the bilateral relationship between India and France, and discussions on new areas of cooperation are expected during this visit.
As part of his schedule, General Dwivedi will travel to Carpiagne, where he will witness live firing exercises. On February 27, he will pay tribute at the Neuve Chapelle Indian War Memorial, honouring the Indian soldiers who fought in World War I.
He will also deliver a talk at the École de Guerre, the French Joint Staff College, where he is expected to discuss India's strategic vision and the evolving nature of modern warfare.
The visit follows Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent trip to France from February 10-12, during which India and France launched a joint roadmap for secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence (AI) development.
The two nations also reaffirmed their commitment to enhancing collaboration in science, innovation, and defence.
In addition to General Dwivedi's visit, India is preparing to finalise two significant defence deals with France. One agreement involves acquiring 26 Rafale-M fighter jets for India's aircraft carrier INS Vikrant.
The twin-engine deck-based fighters, designed for operations at sea, are expected to boost the Indian Navy's combat capabilities. This deal is estimated to be worth around ₹50,000 crore and is considered an interim measure until India develops its indigenous deck-based fighter aircraft.
Another agreement involves the procurement of three additional Scorpene-class submarines. These submarines will be built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited (MDL) in Mumbai, further enhancing India's maritime strength in the Indian Ocean Region.
The region has seen increased strategic challenges, particularly with China's growing presence.
MDL has already built six Kalvari-class submarines under Project 75, a ₹23,562-crore programme that was executed with technology transfer from the French defence company Naval Group. The additional submarines will further reinforce India's underwater warfare capabilities.
Last year, India and France signed a new roadmap for defence industrial cooperation. This agreement focuses on identifying areas for co-designing, co-developing, and co-producing military hardware, reinforcing India's goal of becoming more self-reliant in defence manufacturing.
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