French President Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron arrived in Mumbai on Tuesday for a three-day visit to India, which will continue until February 19.
This marks Macron’s fourth visit to India and his first to Mumbai, underscoring the sustained momentum in the India-France strategic partnership.
The French leader and his delegation were received at the airport by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, Governor Acharya Devvrat, and Deputy Chief Ministers Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar.
Fadnavis posted on X, “Bienvenue à Mumbai! A very warm welcome to the President of France, HE Emmanuel Macron and First Lady Brigitte Macron as they arrive in Mumbai! Maharashtra welcomes you! Wishing Hon President Macron and the entire French delegation a pleasant stay and a successful visit.”
Before departure, Macron tweeted, “En route to India! Three days from Mumbai to New Delhi to take our strategic partnership even further. On board with me: business leaders and the economic, industrial, cultural and digital players who give real, tangible life to the ties between India and France. Together, we will go even further in our cooperation. See you tomorrow, my dear friend @NarendraModi!”
Macron, who landed in Mumbai, accompanied by his wife Brigette Macron around midnight on Tuesday was later seen jogging along the walkways in Mumbai.
Dressed in blue shorts and T-shirt, Macron was seen jogging at around 11 am in Mumbai’s Churchgate area. The videos were shared on social media as he was accompanied by his security staff and also security officials from the Indian side, while sleuths of the Mumbai Police manned the road.
What’s on the Agenda?
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron are set to hold bilateral talks at Lok Bhavan to review cooperation in defence, space, nuclear energy, climate action, education, and emerging technologies under the Horizon 2047 roadmap. Nearly a dozen agreements are expected to be finalised, covering defence, trade, skilling, health, and supply chains.
The two leaders will jointly inaugurate the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, an initiative announced during Macron’s earlier engagements with PM Modi, including meetings in Paris in 2025 and his previous visits for the 2023 G20 Summit and the 2024 Republic Day celebrations.
Later in the evening, they will attend the India-France Year of Innovation and Cultural Commemoration event at the Gateway of India, where they will interact with business leaders, start-ups, researchers, and innovators from both countries.
The leaders will also discuss regional and global developments, including the Indo-Pacific, the Russia-Ukraine war, and Gaza. They will review cooperation in air and maritime domains under the Defence Industrial Roadmap agreed upon in 2024.
The visit takes place amid efforts to strengthen collaboration in artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies. After concluding engagements in Mumbai, Macron will travel to New Delhi to attend the India AI Impact Summit 2026 at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20. This will be the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South.
The summit is organised around three key pillars, People, Planet, and Progress and follows PM Modi and Macron’s co-chairing of the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025.
Defence cooperation will also feature prominently during the visit. Discussions are expected on India’s plan to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets from France under a government-to-government framework. The 6th Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru is likely to renew the bilateral defence cooperation agreement for another 10 years.
Both leaders are also expected to review progress on the India-France Roadmap on AI, launched during PM Modi’s visit to France.
India-France Ties
France is looking to strengthen its defence partnership with India, with talks likely to focus on a possible deal for 114 additional French fighter jets. Last week, India’s Defence Ministry confirmed plans to move ahead with a major order for Rafale aircraft.
The discussions also come in the backdrop of the landmark free trade agreement signed in January between India and the European Union, which both sides described as the “mother of all deals”.
