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India, France to Renew Defence Pact, Sign Hammer Missile Deal in Bengaluru

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will co-chair the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin in Bengaluru. The meeting aims to renew a key defence cooperation agreement for another decade and sign an MoU for a joint venture to manufacture Hammer missiles. Both ministers are also expected to witness the virtual inauguration of the Tata Airbus H125 helicopter assembly line by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron. The dialogue will review the full spectrum of bilateral defence ties, including expanding industrial collaboration and ongoing military exercises.

Key Points: India-France Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru: Key Deals Expected

  • Renew 10-year defence pact
  • Sign Hammer missile JV MoU
  • Announce officer exchange program
  • Witness Tata-Airbus facility launch
  • Review bilateral military exercises
2 min read

Defence Ministers of India, France to co-chair 6th Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru

Rajnath Singh & France's Catherine Vautrin to co-chair defence talks, renew 10-year pact, sign Hammer missile MoU, and witness helicopter facility launch.

"a defence cooperation agreement is expected to be renewed for another 10 years - Ministry of Defence"

New Delhi, February 15

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will co-chair the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue with France's Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs, Catherine Vautrin, in Bengaluru on February 17, as per an official release by the Ministry of Defence.

The meeting will review the entire gamut of bilateral defence cooperation, with a focus on expanding industrial collaboration, the release stated.

During the dialogue, a defence cooperation agreement is expected to be renewed for another 10 years.

An MoU on a joint venture for the manufacturing of Hammer missiles is also likely to be signed in the presence of both Defence Ministers.

An announcement is expected regarding the reciprocal deployment of officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.

The two Ministers are also expected to witness the virtual inauguration of the H125 Light Utility Helicopter Final Assembly of Tata Airbus by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron at Vemagal, Karnataka, the release noted.

Defence has traditionally formed an important pillar of the India-France relationship.

The strong bilateral ties were reflected in 2024-2025 through a series of high-profile exchanges.

PM Modi was the Guest of Honour at the Bastille Day Parade in July 2023, and the French President attended the Republic Day Parade 2024 as the Chief Guest.

The recent India-EU Security & Defence Partnership marked a significant step in deepening engagement with European nations.

Military-to-military cooperation has been increasing, with India and France regularly conducting three major exercises--Exercise Shakti (Army), Exercise Varuna (Navy), and Exercise Garuda (Air Force)-- as well as several other engagements.

This will be Catherine Vautrin's first visit to India since assuming office as the French Defence Minister on October 12, 2025.

The India-France Annual Defence Dialogue is a structured ministerial-level bilateral meeting that reviews and guides defence and security cooperation.

The 5th edition of the dialogue was held in France from October 11-13, 2023.

- ANI

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Reader Comments

P
Priya S
France has been a reliable partner for decades, unlike some other Western nations who are always giving lectures. Good to see the relationship moving beyond just buying equipment to joint manufacturing and technology sharing.
R
Rahul R
While the strategic partnership is welcome, I hope there is transparency in these deals. The cost of the Hammer missiles and the terms of the JV should be scrutinized by parliament. Defence deals have a history of controversies.
A
Anjali F
The reciprocal deployment of officers is a brilliant move! Our armed forces can learn a lot from each other's operational experiences. This builds deep institutional trust. Jai Hind!
S
Sarah B
Observing from a foreign policy perspective, this steady deepening of India-France ties is one of the most stable axes in global geopolitics. Both nations value strategic autonomy, which makes the partnership genuine.
K
Karthik V
Bengaluru becoming the venue is perfect! Our tech capital hosting defence tech collaboration. Hope the Tata-Airbus FAL creates lots of skilled jobs in Karnataka. The economic spin-offs are as important as the strategic ones.

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