Bigger India
Backed by France, India likely to bolster presence in the Indian Ocean
Access to French military bases may well be a shot in the arm for India, which of late has been facing Chinese naval and economic heft in the Indian Ocean.
Increased naval cooperation in the Indian Ocean will feature prominently in discussions when French President Emmanuel Macron meets Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday, during French leader’s three-day bilateral visits which begins on Friday.“There will be a special emphasis on the India Ocean. France has significant military and colony interests in the region, including France’s overseas naval bases in the western Indian Ocean,” sources in the French government said.