A French journalist said yesterday she was facing expulsion from India after two decades for what authorities have termed "malicious and critical" reportage, days before a state visit by President Emmanuel Macron.

Critics say that press freedom in the world's biggest democracy is increasingly under attack, with journalists who touch on sensitive topics often subjected to government rebuke.

The latest is Vanessa Dougnac, a contributor to several French-language publications including the weekly magazine Le Point, who has been based in India for 22 years.