New Delhi: Indian 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, Karnataka, on February 17, 2026.
The meeting will review the entire gamut of bilateral defence cooperation, with a focus on expanding industrial collaboration.
During the meeting, a defence cooperation agreement is expected to be renewed for another 10 years, and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on a joint venture for manufacturing HAMMER missiles is likely to be signed in the presence of both defence ministers.
An announcement is also expected on 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 line of Tata Airbus by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron at Vemagal, Karnataka.
Defence has traditionally formed an important pillar of the relationship between the two countries. The strong and enduring bilateral ties were vividly reflected in 2024–2025 through a series of high-profile exchanges.
Prime Minister Modi was the guest of honour at the Bastille Day Parade in July 2023, while the French President graced the Republic Day Parade 2024 as the chief guest.
The recent India–EU Security and Defence Partnership marks a significant step in deepening collective engagement with European nations. Military-to-military cooperation is on the rise.
Meanwhile, India and France have been regularly conducting three major exercises — Exercise Shakti with the Army, Exercise Varuna with the Navy, and Exercise Garuda with the Air Force — along with several other engagements.
This will be Catherine Vautrin’s maiden visit to India after she took over as the French Defence Minister on October 12, 2025.
The India-France Annual Defence Dialogue is a structured ministerial-level bilateral meeting to review and guide defence and security cooperation. The 5th edition of the meeting was held in France from October 11 to 13, 2023.DD