The Indian military contingent marched to the beats of ‘Sare Jahan Se Accha even as a compliment of Rafale fighters of the Indian Air Force (IAF) participated in a flypast over the Champs-Elysees at the Bastille Day Parade. The Punjab Regiment led the march and was followed by the Indian Navy and then the Air Force as the left their mark at the annual parade to mark the historic fall of Bastille in 1789.
The two countries will look to forge stronger defence, strategic, cultural, scientific, academic and economic ties. France, like India, is known for taking an independent position on major global issues,sometimes at variance with the US.
Defence minister Rajnath Singh will chair a meeting of the Defence Acquisition Council on July 13, before PM Modi takes off for France, to proceed with the inter-governmental agreement (IGA) for the acquisition of the fighter jets from the European nation