Raksha Mantri & his French counterpart co-chair 6th Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru
Raksha Mantri & his French counterpart co-chair 6th Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru
Raksha Mantri Shri Rajnath Singh and Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs of France Ms Catherine Vautrin co-chaired the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 17, 2026. The two Ministers discussed a range of bilateral security and defence issues including priority areas for co-development & co-production of equipment. They emphasised on the need for a closer defence partnership and connecting the industries of both nations, especially in the field of niche technology.
The two Ministers reaffirmed the commitment to enhance military-to-military cooperation as a key pillar of the Strategic Partnership. Raksha Mantri brought out that the recent India-EU Security & Defence Partnership marks a significant step in deepening the collective engagement. Both Ministers agreed to leverage this framework, both bilaterally and in the wider European context for tangible outcomes that will strengthen regional stability, enhance joint capabilities, and reinforce the enduring Indo-French strategic alignment.
Both countries announced Reciprocal deployment Officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments. The renewal of 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.
An MoU on Joint Venture was also signed for the manufacturing of Hammer missiles in India between by the CMD, Bharat Electronics Limited and Executive Vice President, Safran Electronics and Defence.
Congratulating Ms Catherine Vautrin on taking over as the French Defence Minister and welcoming her to her maiden visit to India, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that Ms Vautrin’s 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.
Raksha Mantri emphasised that India has been the ‘First Responder’ and ‘Net Security Provider’ for countries in the Indian Ocean Region and always extends assistance to them in the defence, security and maritime domains to augment their capabilities & ward off any adversary.
On the issue of terrorism, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that Pakistan has a long history of nurturing, nourishing, and promoting cross-border terrorism to create disturbance and violence in India. This, he said, has created a serious threat to peace in the region.
The Annual Defence Dialogue is a structured ministerial level bilateral meeting to review and guide defence and security cooperation. Prior to the meeting, the French Defence Minister was presented with the Guard of Honour at HAL airport upon her arrival.