Prime Minister's visit to France has raised the expectation in strengthening the Indo-French relationship in various sectors like atomic energy, defense, trade and few other areas.

Earlier French President Nicholas Sarkozy had invited Manmohan as the chief guest for France’s annual Bastille Day parade.

Manmohan is all set to meet the French president today to broaden the talks between India and France.

And for the first time in history Indian Army, Navy and Air Force will march along with the French forces in Champs Elysee during the Bastille Day celebrations with Singh and Sarkozy in attendance.

Jerome Bonnafont, the French ambassador to Delhi said "It is symbolic of how close our strategic relations and confident we are that India and France are walking together in the world for peace and security.”

Sources say that French President and Manmohan will have a lunch today and they are all set to have talks on several defence deals worth 6 million euros approximately.

Ex-foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said "France is now very actively participating in tenders from various equipment we wish to buy from abroad. So naturally they have hopes to bag some of them and increase their overall profile in our defence procurement,”

The talks between the two counter parts may include:

• The upgrade of the Indian Air Force's Mirage 2000 fighter aircraft

• 126 Medium combat aircraft that the French Rafael is in the running

• 197 light aircraft that the French EADS Eurcopter is a frontrunner

• 6 mid-air re-fuellers that Airbus wants to bag the contract

• Some naval surveillance equipments.