PM Modi says India and France will build first helicopter to fly to Mount Everest India News

New Delhi: India and France will jointly build the world’s first helicopter capable of flying to Mount Everest, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Tuesday.At a joint press conference with French President Macron, Prime Minister Modi Said the partnership between New Delhi and Paris “knows no boundaries” and “can stretch from the deep sea to the highest mountains”.Prime Minister Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron virtually inaugurated the Airbus H125 helicopter production and assembly line in Vimaggarh, Karnataka.“The launch of the assembly of his helicopter in India is another clear example of this relationship. We are proud that India and France will build a helicopter capable of flying to Mount Everest. We will also export this helicopter. The India-France partnership knows no borders. It can reach from the deep sea to the highest mountains,” Prime Minister Modi said in Mumbai.Prime Minister Modi held comprehensive talks with Macron ahead of a media briefing in the coastal city, with the leaders focusing on strengthening cooperation in trade, defence, energy and key technologies.Popular quotes from Prime Minister Modi:

Macron praised the “significant acceleration” of ties with India at a news conference with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Mumbai.The French president said the shift was in response to the “changing international order,” adding that neither country wanted to be “subjected to any form of hegemony” or “clash of minorities.”The significance of H125 light utility helicopter The H125 light utility helicopter assembly line in Vimagal is expected to strengthen India’s local aerospace manufacturing capabilities and further deepen Indo-French defense and industrial cooperation.The plant is designed to produce H125 helicopters for civilian and quasi-public operations, including emergency medical services, law enforcement and passenger transport.The first “Made in India” H125 is expected to be delivered in early 2027. The helicopter will also be exported to South Asia.Emmanuel Macron on three-day visitMacron arrived in Mumbai earlier in the day for a three-day visit, during which he is scheduled to attend the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit in New Delhi and meet Modi.The visit comes soon after India approved a pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale fighter jets from France under an inter-governmental framework, a deal billed as one of the world’s largest military procurement programs in recent years.Sources told the Press Trust of India news agency that deepening defense cooperation and expanding engagement in critical and emerging technologies are among the top priorities guiding the next phase of the bilateral relationship.