India to make debut with first pavilion at France’s Euronaval exhibition

Toulon [France], October 10 (ANI): India will make its debut with a dedicated pavilion at the upcoming Euronaval exhibition in France, with around 10 Indian companies set to participate, Euronaval General Commissioner Guillaume Merveilleux du Vignaux said. He highlighted the potential for greater cooperation between India’s naval industry and international defence manufacturers. 
“We will see an Indian pavilion at Euronaval this year, and we are very happy to welcome our Indian friends,” du Vignaux, a former rear admiral in the French Navy, told ANI.
The pavilion will feature companies from across India’s naval and maritime sectors, including shipyards and firms specialising in electronics, software, sensors and shipbuilding.
The exhibition, scheduled from November 3 to November 6, is expected to bring together around 700 companies, marking an increase of approximately 45 per cent in exhibitors, he said.
du Vignaux said India’s participation reflected the potential for closer industrial cooperation with France and other countries attending the exhibition.
Highlighting India-France naval ties, he said the partnership was longstanding and rooted in shared strategic interests, particularly in the Indian Ocean.
“Naval cooperation between India and France is an old story now, and it has been going on for a long time,” he said, adding that cooperation extended beyond joint exercises to defence equipment, operational interoperability and industrial collaboration.
He cited Scorpène-class submarines and Rafale aircraft for carrier operations as examples of French-origin defence platforms contributing to the partnership.
du Vignaux also said India’s extensive coastline and growing global role made it important for the country to protect its maritime interests beyond its immediate coastal waters.
He noted that modern navies needed large warships capable of operating over long distances while adapting to rapid technological changes, including advances in digitalisation and software.
“The next evolution navies are facing is mixed or hybrid fleets between big, strong platforms that will continue to exist and be relevant, and smaller autonomous platforms that expand their capacities,” he said. (ANI)