India, France deepen ties, embrace shared a world view

In the welter of announcements and programmes announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and France’s President Emmanuel Macron two themes stood out: The common wish of the two countries for a multilateral world and their antipathy against hegemony. Both leaders stressed these elements after their meeting in Mumbai and elaborated on them in their joint statement.

Macron is in India on a three-day visit, his fourth visit to the country. He will participate in the Artificial Intelligence (AI) summit in New Delhi tomorrow.

The two leaders announced a slew of projects spanning across AI, healthcare, innovation, critical minerals and biotechnology among others. They also remotely inaugurated the final assembly line for H-125 helicopters in Karnataka. Meanwhile the defence ministers of India and France also met in Bengaluru today.

2026 has been designated as the India-France year of innovation and a number of projects and events are being organised during the year. Later this year, France will be holding the annual summit of G-7 nations. Prime Minister Modi has been invited for the summit, President Macron said in his remarks.

The centrepiece of the collaboration between the two countries is their defence cooperation. India is now among the biggest buyers of French defence equipment and this relationship is certain to get a boost in the years ahead. Recently, India gave the go-ahead for the purchase of 114 Rafale fighter jets. This is apart from cooperation between the two countries on a fighter jet engine that will power India’s fifth-generation fighter jet, the AMCA. A joint venture between Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and the French defence company Safran is in the works to manufacture the Hammer munition for the Indian Air Force and the Navy.

The heavy emphasis on defence and strategic cooperation between India and France is not surprising. Both powers believe in charting an independent course in their respective foreign policies. Many decades ago, France overcame pressures to join restrictive alliances; similar pressures are being exerted on India. Both countries appreciate their needs for strategic autonomy, a much-maligned expression for some of India’s international partners. India’s wariness in signing defence equipment deals that have the potential to force a “lock in” with negative geostrategic consequences, make France a partner of choice compared to other countries. This has been evident for a while.

Apart from these strategic matters, the two countries also discussed much more immediate, practical, matters as well. The two have agreed on a double-tax avoidance framework. In his remarks, Macron said France is considering the issue of transit visa for Indian travellers who pass through France.