Macron on Thursday praised India’s push for localised Rafale production under ‘Make in India’ and highlighted long-term strategic and economic gains, while urging European countries to consolidate their defence sectors to remain globally competitive
French President Emmanuel Macron has described India’s push to co-produce Rafale fighter jets as a “legitimate” ambition that aligns with the “direction of history.”
Speaking to the French media on the sidelines of the AI-India Impact Summit, Macron said that by 2040 and 2050, the world will require even more robust defence capabilities, particularly as regional powers like China continue to advance their combat aviation programmes.
“The Indians, who are currently customers, want to co-produce with us; we have seen the Rafale here, but they want to co-produce combat aircraft in India. They want to handle more of the maintenance, which is legitimate,” BFM TV, a French news broadcast television, quoted Macron as saying.
Macron highlighted the long-term significance of the partnership, saying that India’s demand for advanced aviation is expected to grow over the coming decades.
“Looking ahead to 2040 and 2050, I am telling you, India will need combat aviation. This is the direction of history,” he added.
Separately, speaking to India Today, Macron highlighted the benefits of deeper industrial collaboration with India, stressing the strategic and economic gains from local production.
“I don’t see how people can criticise because it makes your country stronger, it increases the strategic relation between us, and it creates more jobs here. And so, very clearly, we are extremely, I would say, committed to having a maximum number of Indian components and manufacturing a maximum number of critical devices in India,” said the French President.
“This is exactly the rationale under this Tata-Airbus deal. So we will do the same for, for the Rafale, you can count on us,” he added.
India’s Defence Acquisition Council (DAC), chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, recently approved the acquisition of 114 Rafale Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) for the Indian Air Force.
According to an ANI report, citing Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh, this will mark the first time Rafales are manufactured outside France, with 40 to 50 per cent localisation under the government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative.
Singh said the programme is being implemented through a government-to-government agreement with no intermediaries and complete transparency. He highlighted that the deal allows integration of Indian weapons and systems on the aircraft, describing it as a key feature of the project.
Speaking to BFM TV, Macron cited India’s example to urge European nations to consolidate their defence industries and work toward a “European standard” to remain competitive globally.
He said that strategic state decisions must take precedence over corporate interests to prevent Europe from becoming irrelevant in the global defence landscape.
“So we Europeans, if we have a sense of history, have an interest in reaching an agreement right now, and therefore in having a common model. So, first we have the strategic decision, and then we have discussions about the companies,” Macron was quoted as saying.
Warning against fragmentation within Europe, Macron stressed the importance of unity in the face of rising global competition.
“The need to have a European standard. We must create a standard together; otherwise, we will have nothing,” he said.
With inputs from agencies
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