India-France will make helicopters that fly as tall as Mount Everest: PM Modi on H125 project

New Delhi: India and France on Tuesday gave a major push to bilateral defence relationship with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurating a key helicopter manufacturing facility in Karnataka even as the two nations renewed a ten-year defence cooperation agreement.

In addition, New Delhi and Paris inked an agreement on setting up a production unit in India to manufacture Hammer missiles used by Rafale combat jets and formalised an arrangement on reciprocal deployment of officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.

“France is one of India's oldest strategic partners. And together with President Macron, we have given this strategic partnership unprecedented depth and energy...The inauguration of the helicopter assembly line in India is another shining example of this deep trust,” Prime Minister Modi said in a statement after the summit meeting.

“We are proud that India and France will jointly manufacture the world's only helicopter capable of flying to the heights of Mount Everest. And we will also export it to the entire world,” he noted, referring to the H125 Tata-Airbus helicopter assembly line at Vemagal in Kolar district of Karnataka.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh the investment in the H-125 programme would exceed Rs 1,000 crore. The H125 is the only helicopter in history to have landed on the summit of Mount Everest, giving it a performance ceiling that exceeds existing light utility fleets.

President Macron said, “From Rafale jets to submarines, we are expanding defence cooperation.” The two sides also agreed to make Exercise Shakti – wargaming between Indian and French land forces – an annual affair instead of holding it once in two years.

Last week, the Defence Ministry accorded an initial clearance to buy 114 Rafale fighter aircraft from France for the Indian Air Force in a Rs 3.25 lakh crore deal. The IAF currently flies 36 Rafale jets and last year India signed another major contract to purchase 24 Rafale-M for the Navy.

While Prime Minister Modi met President Macron in Mumbai, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held discussions with his French counterpart Catherine Vautrine in Bengaluru. President Macron will travel to Delhi to attend the ongoing AI impact summit.

At the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru the two ministers discussed bilateral security and defence issues including priority areas for co-development and co-production of equipment, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.

They emphasised on the need for a closer defence partnership and connecting the industries of both nations, especially in the field of niche technology besides reaffirming their commitment to enhance military-to-military cooperation as a key pillar of the strategic partnership.

While Rajnath flagged the importance of the recent India-EU Security & Defence Partnership as a significant step in deepening the collective engagement, the two ministers agreed to leverage this framework, both bilaterally and in the wider European context for tangible outcomes to strengthen regional stability, enhance joint capabilities, and reinforce the enduring Indo-French strategic alignment.

Welcoming Vautrin in her maiden visit to India, Rajnath said her tenure comes at a critical moment for European and global security and India deeply appreciates France’s steadfast commitment to strategic autonomy and a robust European defence posture.

The French Defence Minister appreciated the conversion of Exercise Shakti with the Army from biennial to an annual event.

The renewal of the 10-year defence cooperation agreement was signed by the Defence Secretary from the Indian side and Deputy Director General for International Relations and Strategy from the French side.

The MoU on a Joint Venture for the manufacturing of Hammer missiles in India was signed by the Chairman cum Managing Director of Bharat Electronics Limited and Executive Vice President, Safran Electronics and Defence.