French President Emmanuel Macron along with his wife Brigitte Macron reached Mumbai on 16 February 2026 i.e. around Monday night. His plane landed at Mumbai airport, where he was warmly welcomed by Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and other senior officials. This is Macron’s fourth official visit to India after assuming power in 2017, which will last for three days (17 to 19 February 2026).
Rafale deal is the most special in Macron’s visit
Macron’s main objective is to further strengthen defence, Artificial Intelligence (AI) and strategic partnership with India. The biggest discussion is on the multi-billion dollar deal for new Rafale fighter jets. Last week, the Defense Acquisition Council (DAC) chaired by Defense Minister Rajnath Singh had approved the purchase of 114 additional Rafale jets.
This deal is worth approximately Rs 3.60 lakh crore (about 40-45 billion dollars). Most of these jets will be manufactured in India under Make in India. If the deal is finalized, it will add to the 36 Rafales purchased for the Indian Air Force in 2016 and 26 Rafales for the Navy. This will be one of India’s largest aircraft purchases and is being considered as the ‘contract of the century’ for defense cooperation between the two countries.
What events will take place on 17 February 2026?
- At around 3:15 pm, Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting at Lok Bhawan in Mumbai.
- Many memoranda of understanding (MoU) will be signed in the meeting.
- Both the leaders will inaugurate the India-France Year of Innovation 2026.
- He will visit the Gateway of India and pay tribute to the martyrs of the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks.
- Macron will meet Bollywood actors and inaugurate the India-France Innovation Forum.
- Also, India’s first helicopter final assembly line will be inaugurated through video conference.
On February 18-19, Macron will visit Delhi, where he will participate in the India AI Impact Summit. This summit will focus on global cooperation in the field of AI, especially in healthcare and responsible innovation.
Background of India-France relations
In January 2026, a historic Free Trade Agreement (FTA) was signed between India and the European Union, which both sides called the ‘Mother of All Deals’. France is a major defense partner of India and the two countries have strong cooperation on security, trade and technology in the Indo-Pacific.
Expert Christophe Jaffrelot described this possible deal as a ‘big win’. This visit will give new heights to India-France strategic partnership, especially in areas like defense and AI. Both leaders will discuss further strengthening bilateral relations.
