Modi, Macron launch H125 helicopter assembly line | India News
Apart from renewing an agreement for defense cooperation, Prime Minister Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, who met in Mumbai on Tuesday, also presided over the inauguration of the final assembly line of H125 helicopters at Vemagal in Karnataka.Modi said the inauguration of helicopter assembly line in India is another shining example of trust between the two countries. “We are proud that India and France will manufacture in India the world’s only helicopter capable of flying at the height of Mount Everest. And we will export it to the world,” the Prime Minister said, adding that the India-France partnership knows no boundaries and can extend from the deepest oceans to the highest mountains. The two countries are finalizing a multi-billion dollar deal for India to purchase 114 Rafale fighter jets.The Prime Minister said that India had just concluded the “largest and most ambitious” FTA with the EU in India’s history and that it would give an unprecedented boost to India-France relations. To promote mutual investment, Modi also announced the signing of an agreement to avoid double taxation “for our people and companies”.“All these initiatives will inject new energy into trade, investment and mobility. This is the roadmap for shared prosperity,” Modi added.“We are combining the expertise of France with the scale of India. We are developing reliable technologies. Through the International Solar Alliance, the India Middle East Europe Economic Corridor and joint development projects, we will ensure human development. Through multilateralism, dialogue and diplomacy, we will continue to strengthen efforts for both the stability and prosperity of France, believing in PMCRA India.” Values, the rule of law and a multilateral world.Modi also spoke about the need to reform global institutions, only through such reforms can global challenges be resolved. “Whether in Ukraine, West Asia or the Indo-Pacific, we will continue to support all efforts for peace. It is our collective commitment to eliminate terrorism in all its forms and manifestations,” the Prime Minister said. Both sides strongly condemned all forms of terrorism.Macron condemned the April 2025 Pahalgam terror attack and expressed support for India’s right to self-defense against terrorism.The two countries also launched an annual Foreign Ministers’ Dialogue to regularly review the implementation of the Enhanced Partnership announced in 2023 and the Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
