India France Defense Ties: India and France have renewed their defense cooperation agreement for a decade, emphasizing local production of military equipment. On February 18, 2026, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his French counterpart Catherine Vautrin co-chaired the 6th Annual Defense Dialogue in Bengaluru, discussing key issues of bilateral security and defense collaboration.
The two nations signed an agreement for manufacturing French-origin missiles in India and announced a reciprocal deployment of army officers. A significant focus was placed on the co-development and co-production of military equipment, with India pushing for maximum indigenization in the new Rafale fighter jets.
The defense acquisition council recently approved the purchase of military hardware worth ₹3.6 lakh crore, including 114 Rafale jets. France is expected to deliver 18 jets in fly-away condition, while the remaining 96 will be manufactured in India with an indigenous content target of 50-60%.
This agreement follows a previous pact between the DRDO and France’s DGA to deepen defense research collaboration. The two ministers agreed to leverage this framework for regional stability and joint capabilities enhancement, reinforcing the Indo-French strategic alignment.
The talks also covered the manufacturing of Hammer missiles and the H125 helicopter assembly line in Karnataka, highlighting India’s drive towards self-reliance. The first H125 helicopter is expected to roll out by early 2027, with a projected demand for 500 units in South Asia over the next 20 years.
Published in SouthAsianDesk, February 18th, 2026
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