No Rafale-M for Indian Navy now, but several big-ticket defence deals announced after Modi-Macron meet

The Modi-Macron meeting is set to clear ways for expanding bilateral defence cooperation.

India on Friday refrained from announcing the much-expected deal to buy 26 Rafale-M combat aircraft for its navy from France, even as the two nations announced several big-ticket defence deals after a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Friday.

Modi and Macron also adopted a roadmap for expanding India-France cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, ostensibly to counter the expansionist aspirations of China.

The deal for procuring 26 maritime versions of the Rafale combat aircraft for the Indian Navy from Dassault Aviation of France was expected to be one of the deliverables of the prime minister’s visit to Paris on an invitation from the president of the Western European nation. The Ministry of Defence of the Government of India had already approved the purchase of the aircraft. The approval had been granted at a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) on Thursday. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had chaired the meeting of the DAC.

India had earlier procured 36 Rafale fighter jets for its air force in accordance with a deal it had inked with France in September 2016.

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“The metrics of defence partnership are not defined by a single acquisition or non-acquisition, a single procurement, or a transaction,” Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said when the journalists asked him why the Rafale M deal had not been announced. He was briefing media persons after the Prime Minister’s meeting with the French President.

Modi and Macron, however, reaffirmed their commitment to cooperating in the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including for the benefit of third countries, according to a joint statement titled “Horizon 2047: 25th Anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership, Towards A Century of India-France Relations”. The joint statement was issued after the meeting between the two leaders.

Modi on Friday also attended the Bastille Day parade as the guest of honour and received from. Macron the Grand Cross of the Legion d'Honneur, the highest grade of the order of merit bestowed by the French Government. The award was a recognition of the role of the prime minister in advancing the relations between France and India.

New Delhi and Paris agreed on supporting the joint development of a combat aircraft engine, with a roadmap of the project being developed by Safran of France and the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) before the end of this year. The two sides agreed to support industrial cooperation for the motorization of heavy-lift helicopters under the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter programme with Safran Helicopter Engine in France. A shareholders agreement between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) of India and Safran Helicopter Engine of France was concluded for engine development.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between Mazgon Dockyard Limited of India and Naval Group of France for the construction of three additional submarines under the P75 programme. New Delhi and Paris agreed to explore more ambitious projects to develop India’s submarine fleet and its performance with support from France.

The two leaders noted that the contract between Safran Helicopter Engine and the HAL for the transfer of technology for forging and castings for the Shakti Engine reflected the commitment of France to support the Make in India programme. An MoU between Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Limited (GRSE), and the Naval Group of France was signed for collaboration in the field of surface ships, aimed at catering to fulfil the requirement of India and International Naval forces.

“India and France, being the resident powers in the Indo-Pacific, have special responsibilities to ensure peace and stability in the region,” Modi said as he and Macron jointly address media persons at Élysée Palace, the official residence of the French President in Paris. “We are working on an Indo-Pacific Cooperation Roadmap to continue our joint efforts in the region with a positive approach”.

Macron joined him in sending out a subtle message to Beijing. "We defend the same idea together of the Indo-Pacific, a space that must remain open and free of all hegemonic power," he said.

The NewSpace India Limited, the commercial arm of the Indian Space Research Organisation I(SRO), and the Arianespace of France inked an intent to collaborate in commercial launch services.

New Delhi is keen to deepen cooperation with Paris in the Indo-Pacific to counter China’s bid to expand its geopolitical influence in the region. France is also interested to bilaterally working with India in the Indo-Pacific. But it is not interested in joining any plurilateral initiative like the Quad – a coalition forged by India, Japan, Australia and the United States to counter China’s expansionist aspirations in the region.

"Defence cooperation has been a strong pillar of our close relationship. It is a symbol of deep mutual trust between the two countries. France is an important partner in 'Make in India' and Atmanirbhar Bharat (self-reliant India) initiative," Modi said before his meeting with Macron.

“There is scope for expanding cooperation among the defence space agencies. We are moving forward towards setting up of MRO (Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul) facilities, production of spare parts and development of helicopter engines by French companies in India. We will focus on strengthening our cooperation on this," said Modi.

The prime minister announced that India would open a new consulate at Marseilles in southern France. He welcomed the decision of the Macron Government to give long-term visas to Indian-origin people in France.