Military ties to take centre stage as India's Modi visits France

India is one of the biggest buyers of French arms, with Modi announcing a landmark deal for 36 Rafale fighter jets during a trip to Paris in 2015 that was worth around 4.0 billion euros ($4.24 billion) at the time.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be the guest of honour for the July 14 military parade in France. (AFP)