India and France on January 26 unveiled an ambitious defence industrial roadmap to co-develop critical military hardware, firmed up a space situational awareness programme, while the Tata Group and Airbus announced to jointly build H125 helicopters, following talks between Modi and Macron.
Forty eight years ago, Prime Minister Jacques Chirac came as chief guest at a Republic Day event. A Sanskrit scholar who believed in deeper ties with India Chirac was the first French leader to watch India’s parade. In 2024, as French President Macron comes to India next week and he will be the sixth French leader to be the guest of honour