Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron on Friday agreed to deepen the partnership between India and France in the defence and the space sectors, even as they adopted a roadmap for expanding cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region, ostensibly to counter the expansionist aspirations of China. The much-expected deal for procuring 26 maritime versions of the Rafale combat aircraft for the Indian Navy from Dassault Aviation of France was not specifically announced after the Modi-Macron meeting. The two leaders however reaffirmed their commitment to cooperating in the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including for the benefit of...