On October 24, 2017, French Defense Minister Florence Parly travelled to India for a two-day visit and held bilateral talks with her counterpart Nirmala Sitharaman. This meeting was in continuation of a series of interactions between the two countries on defense related matters. The trip was also aimed at laying the road map for an upcoming visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India in December 2017.[1]
France and India have maintained very close ties on economic and strategic relations. In 2016, India had signed a $9 billion deal with France for supply of 36 Rafale jets, and the Indian Air Force (IAF) is pitching for procuring another fleet of 36 Rafale jets.[2] However, this visit was building upon the Technical Arrangement on Exchange of White Shipping information signed earlier in 2017.