Bilateral Brief

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Overview

India and France have traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations, and share a deep and enduring strategic partnership covering all aspects of bilateral cooperation. Launched on 26 January 1998, India’s first-ever strategic partnership embodied the core vision of both the countries to enhance their respective strategic independence by drawing upon a strong and enhanced bilateral cooperation. Defence and security, civil nuclear matters and space constitute the principal pillars of this strategic cooperation which now includes a strong Indo-Pacific component. In recent years, the partnership has broadened to include cooperation in digital sphere, cyber security and advanced computing, climate change, blue economy, and renewable and sustainable development, among other things.

  1. The core of India-France partnership is underpinned by our shared democratic values, belief in multilateralism as a means to tackle global challenges, respect for international law, and strong economic, cultural, academic, and people-to-people ties.

  2. The year 2023 marked 25 years of India-France strategic partnership when Prime Minister Narendra Modi paid an official visit on 13-14 July as the guest of honour at the French National Day. During the visit, both sides adopted the roadmap Horizon 2047, setting the course for the next 25 years until 2047, a year that will mark centenaries of India’s independence and diplomatic relations between both countries.

  3. Following Prime Minister Modi’s visit, French President Emmanuel Macron paid a state visit to India as the chief guest for the 75th Republic Day of India on 26 January 2024. This was President Macron’s second state visit to India, and the sixth visit by a French leader as the guest of honour for India’s Republic Day. For the two leaders to be the guests of honour at successive national days respectively was unprecedented, and a high point in the celebration of the 25th anniversary of the declaration of the strategic partnership between the two countries.

  4. More recently, Prime Minister Modi paid a visit to France on 10-12 February 2025, and co-chaired, with President Macron, the third AI Action Summit that was held in Paris . India will host the next AI Summit in February 2026 that would also be India-France Year of Innovation during which year-long collaborative events would be hosted focusing on innovations in different sectors, including culture, trade and technology. During the visit, both leaders held bilateral discussions on the entire gamut of bilateral cooperation and on global and regional matters. Both leaders also went to Marseille, and jointly inaugurated India’s Consulate General in Marseille. 

  5. Both leaders have used the opportunities of multilateral summits to meet regularly and review the progress of bilateral relations, in particular the Horizon 2047 roadmap. For instance, both leaders met most recently on the sidelines of the G7 Summit in Kananaskis, Canada, on 17 June 2025. 

Other High-level Political Exchanges

  1. Both sides have been able to maintain the momentum of high-level exchanges, with discussions centering around bilateral issues and mutual global concerns, reflecting the strategic convergence between the two countries. Within four months of the visit of Prime Minister Modi in February 2025, EAM paid an official visit to France in June 2025 during which he held discussions with French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot and called on President Macron. During the visit, he also attended the inaugural Mediterranean edition of Raisina Dialogue in Marseille, together with Foreign Minister Barrot.

  2. In addition, in June 2025, several Ministerial visits from India to France took place, including the visit of Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal to attend WTO Ministerial Meeting in Paris on 3-4 June; visit of Minister of Earth Sciences Dr. Jitendra Singh to participate in the third United Nations Ocean Conference in Nice on 9-13 June; and visit of Minister of State of Electronics and Information Technology Jitin Prasada on June 10-13 to attend Vivatech. Besides these visits, Dr P K Mishra, Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister, visited Nice on 6-7 June to co-chair the seventh International Conference on Disaster Resilient Infrastructure.  

  3. From France, Mr. François-Noël Buffet, French Minister of State of Interior, visited India on 23 April 2025, to jointly inaugurate the second edition of MILIPOL India along with Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityanand Rai. 

  4. There were several high-level exchanges between the two sides in 2024 despite general elections in both countries. On 30 September 2024, NSA Ajit Doval co-chaired the India-France Strategic Dialogue with Diplomatic Advisor to the French President Emmanuel Bonne in Paris. During the visit, NSA also met French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot, Minister of Armed Forces Sebastien Lecornu and called on President Macron. 

  5. On 26 January 2024, EAM met with Stephane Sejourne, the then Foreign Minister of France, and held a discussion on a range of regional and global issues. The latter made a congratulatory phone call to EAM on 21 June 2024, congratulating the latter on his re-appointment as External Affairs Minister of India. EAM met with the new French Foreign Minister Mr. Jean-Noël Barrot on 24 September 2024, on the sidelines of UN General Assembly in New York, and on 25 November 2024, on the sidelines of Rome Mediterranean Dialogue 2024.

  6. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited Paris on 11-12 October 2023 for the fifth meeting of the Annual Defence Dialogue with his French counterpart Sebastien Lecornu. He also visited the Safran Engine Division's R&D Centre at Gennevilliers near Paris and met with the CEOs of top French defence companies. 

  7. Minister for Finance and Corporate Affairs Nirmala Sitharaman met the then French Minister of Economy, Finance and Industry Antoine Armand on the sidelines of the World Bank and IMF annual meeting in Washington DC on 24 October 2024.

  8. Minister of State for Commerce and Industry Jitin Prasada met with French Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade Sophie Primas on 25 October 2024 on the sidelines of G20 Trade and Industrial Ministers’ Meeting in Brazil. 

  9. Ms Sophie Primas, Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and French Nationals Abroad, visited India on 27-29 November 2024 and met Commerce and Industries Minister Piyush Goyal after which both Ministers addressed the France-India CEOs Forum. The events focused on business opportunities and collaboration between Indian and French companies in India and Indo-Pacific region.

  10. Minister for Food Processing Industries Chirag Paswan visited France in October 2024 for the Ministerial meeting held on the sidelines of the OIV centenary in Dijon. During the visit, interactions with the food processing companies in France were held, along with discussions at the OIV for the Indian wine industry. 

Defence Cooperation

  1. India and France have a strong and robust defence partnership with an increasing Atmanirbharata element in it. The defence cooperation between the two sides is reviewed under the Annual Defence Dialogue (Defence Minister level) and by the High Committee on Defence Cooperation (Secretary level). The fifth Annual Ministerial-level Annual Defence Dialogue was held on 11 October 2023 in Paris. Among the significant achievements in the defence partnership is the P-75 Scorpene Project and the delivery of 36 Rafale aircrafts by France to India.  

  2. On 28 April 2025, the Governments of India and France signed an Inter-Governmental Agreement for the procurement of 26 Rafale-M aircrafts for the Indian Navy. In line with the Government's thrust on Aatmanirbhar Bharat, the Agreement includes transfer of technology for integration of indigenous weapons in India. It also includes setting up of a production facility for Rafale fuselage as well as Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facilities for aircraft engine, sensors and weapons in India.

  3. Both sides had signed a contract in 2005 for constructing six submarines of which five (INS Kalvari, Khanderi, Karanj, Vela and Vagir) were commissioned in 2017, 2019, 2021, 2021 and 2023. On 15 January 2025, the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene-class project, INS Vaghsheer, was commissioned in the Indian Navy. 

  4. India France joint defence exercises have grown in scope and complexity over the years. The 20th edition of Army-to-Army Staff Talks was held between India and France in Delhi on 7-8 November 2024. The 21th edition of Army-to-Army Staff Talks is scheduled to be held in end- 2025. The 18th round of Navy-to-Navy Staff Talks were held in Paris on 11-12 June 2025. Bilateral Army exercise SHAKTI 2025 was held in France on 18 June-1 July 2025. This was the first time that the exercise saw participation of Air force and Navy observers. French Air and Space Force (FASF) and IAF have been participating in bilateral Ex-GARUDA till 2023. In 2024, the IAF expanded the scope by inviting multiple nations in the form of a new exercise TARANG SHAKTI in lieu of Ex-GARUDA. FASF participated in this multilateral Ex TARANG SHAKTI Phase -1 held at Air Force Station Sulur and Air Force Station Thanjavur on 6 - 14 August 2024. The sea phase of naval exercise VARUNA 2024 was conducted on 2 - 5 September 2024 off the coast of Toulon, France.  IN P8I was deployed at Istres (France) on 1 – 4 September 2024 to take part in exercise VARUNA 2024. French Aircraft Atlantique-2 participated in the multilateral exercise MILAN 2024, off the coast of Vishakhapatnam. In recent times, the French Carrier Strike Group Charles De Gaulle visited India in January 2025, followed by Indian Navy’s participation in the French multinational exercise La Perouse, and both sides held bilateral VARUNA exercise in March 2025. 

  5. A letter of Intent on deepening the Defense Space partnership was signed on 26 January 2024 between India and France, which is a testimony to the increasing strategic co-operation in the field of space. Indian Defence Space Agency participated as military observer in the AsterX-24 exercise on 3-6 March 2024 at Toulouse, France.  As a sign of increasing trust, the status of participation has now been enhanced from observer to a participant for the exercise held in March 2025. 

  6. Port calls are being held regularly. INS Tabar made a port call at Toulon in August-September 2024. The port call also included the harbour phase of Ex VARUNA 2024. INS Talwar made a port call at La Reunion in October 2024. INS Sindhuratna made an administrative port call at Le Havre on 6-9 March 2023 on its voyage back to India after a refit in Russia. INS Chennai made a port call at Brest on 12-16 July 2023 during the French National Day on 14 July 2023. 

  7.  An event between the defence technology and startup ecosystems of India and France was organised by the Mission to provide a platform for collaboration. Over 20 startups on both sides attended the event held in Paris on 5 December 2024, and spanned different sectors, including AI, drone technologies, space and quantum. 

Trilateral Cooperation

  1. Apart from bilateral dialogues, India and France also have separate trilateral institutional exchanges with Australia and UAE. Ministerial-level meetings as well as focal point meetings of both mechanisms are being held regularly, including on the sidelines of multilateral events. France is one of the original signatories to the MoU on India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor that was signed on the margins of the G20 summit in Delhi on 9 September 2023. 

Foreign Office Consultations

  1. India and France regularly meet at the level of Foreign Secretaries to review the bilateral relations. The last such consultations were held in Paris in January 2025. 

Space Cooperation

  1. India and France have a rich history of cooperation in the field of space for over fifty years, between ISRO and the French Space Agency Centre National d'Etudes Spatiales’ (CNES). 

  2. The first India-France Strategic Space Dialogue was held in Paris on 26 June 2023 led by then Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra and Secretary General, Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs, Anne-Marie Descôtes, where they identified areas for cooperation under the civil space cooperation and defense space cooperation tracks.

  3. ISRO and CNES have concluded a joint declaration for cooperation in future launch vehicle technologies, and an agreement for cooperation in joint earth observation mission TRISHNA, maritime domain awareness and space situational awareness. While ISRO’s Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) has launched French satellites on commercial basis, Arianespace France has been a major provider of launch services to Indian geostationary satellites. Arianespace and NSIL have concluded a Letter of Intent for collaboration in commercial launch services.

Cyber Cooperation

  1. India and France have a cyber dialogue mechanism to discuss cyber cooperation and related matters. A dialogue on cyber security matters was held in Paris on 9 Jan 2024. 

Cooperation on Counter terrorism

  1. India and France have a robust cooperation on topics relating to countering terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including under UN forums. The 16th Meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism was held in January 2024 in New Delhi.  

Civil Nuclear Cooperation

  1. India and France have a deep cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, including in relation to the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant Project. The first meeting of India-France Special Task Force on Nuclear Energy within the framework of the Indo-French Strategic Dialogue was convened on 20 January 2025. Both sides have agreed to work on establishing a partnership on low and medium power modular reactors or Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMR). During the visit of Prime Minister Modi in February 2025, both sides signed a letter of intent on SMRs and AMRs, and the Implementing Agreement between India’s GCNEP, DAE, and France’s INSTN, CEA, for cooperation in training and education of nuclear professionals. The cooperation on JNPP and exploration of SMRs and AMRs signifies a shared vision for sustainable and efficient nuclear energy solutions.

Trade and Investment

  1. Within the European Union, France remains India’s fifth-largest trading partner, after the Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, and Germany. Discussions during various high-level visits in 2024-25 focused on trade, technological advancements, and energy security, reflecting a commitment to deepening ties for mutual economic growth and global leadership. France considers India an important market for its products, and is looking to increase the number of joint ventures and encourage investments in and from India. Both countries are also moving to jointly develop technologies and integrate existing technologies. The process of enabling Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in France has started. Several Indian companies, including TCS and L&T Tech Service, have opened their innovation centres in France for joint technology development. French technologies, especially in renewables, sustainable manufacturing and urban infrastructure development, are being integrated in India.

  2. India and France are prioritizing five key areas for economic diplomacy: 

  1. Advancing digital technology and innovation.

  2. Clean energy collaborations

  3. Research and development, smart manufacturing, and critical technologies, including in defence

  4. Enhancing India’s exports to France

  5. Global supply chain relocation initiatives

  1. For FY 2024-25, bilateral trade with France stood at about Euros 12.92 billion. While the exports to France registered a growth of 11.42% to reach Euros 6.89 billion, with petroleum products accounting for about Euros 0.99 billion, imports from France were about Euros 6.03 billion, with aircraft, spacecraft and parts accounting for about Euros 2.11 billion. 

  2. France is the 11th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of Euros 10.12 billion from April 2000 to December 2024, which represents 1.63% of the total FDI inflows into India according to data provided by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade. Top five FDI equity inflows are in: Services sector (17.69%), Cement and gypsum products (8.33%), Air transport (including air freight) (6.84%), Miscellaneous industries (6.70%) and Petroleum and natural gas (6.36%). These five sectors represent 45.93% of the total equity inflow from France from April 2000 to September 2024. Most big French groups have their subsidiaries in India: 39 of the 40 French CAC 40 companies are already present in India, and around 50-70 SMEs are also present in India, essentially in the mechanical and pharma-chemical sectors. 

  3. Several events are routinely held in France to strengthen trade, investment, and technology ties between the two countries, including promotion of Indian fashion and Indian textiles, round-table conferences on opportunities in India’s first International Financial Services Centre at GIFT City, Gujarat, round-table conferences with CEOs of major French companies in construction, automobile, education, infrastructure, logistics and technology, UPI and digital infrastructure.  Several delegations of companies from FICCI, CII and ASSOCHAM are regularly hosted with roundtables, seminars and workshops in different sectors. 

Digital Cooperation

  1. During PM’s visit to Paris in July 2023, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and France’s Lyra Collect executed an agreement to implement UPI in France and Europe. The payment mechanism went live at the Eiffel Tower during President Macron’s visit to India on 26 January 2024, as the first merchant in France to accept UPI. Subsequently, UPI payments were launched at Galleries Lafayette on 3 July 2024. 

  2. With a shared belief in the power of a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach for the development of open, free, democratic and inclusive digital economies and digital societies, India and France have advanced multi-stakeholder exchanges through the InFraStructures (India France Structures) and InFinity (India France Innovation in Information Technology) platforms. So far, there have been three editions of the InFraStructures workshop in 2022, 2023 and 2025. Additionally, a half-day session on DPI for 45 French civil servants was organized both in 2024 and 2025.  

  3.  Under the Station F-HEC Paris International Launchpad program, ten Indian startups have been present in Paris at Station F since May 2025 for a 4-month program. MeitY has started conversations with Station F-HEC for enrolling two more cohorts of ten startups each in September 2025 and in 2026. The cohort of 20 startups from April 2025 and September 2025 would be part of demonstrations for India’s AI Impact Summit in February 2026. The program is to be extended for more cohorts of Startups from India.

  4. As part of the joint DPI cooperation efforts, India and France have mutually identified potential high-impact initiatives in the areas of mobility, commerce and culture, as initial focus areas to showcase the significant benefits of interconnectedness between platforms accomplished by leveraging open protocols.

Tourism

  1. An India Pavillion was set up at the International and French Travel Market (IFTM) Top Resa tourism fair held on 17-19 September 2024 in Paris. There were state pavilions from Kerala, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Karnataka and Uttar Pradesh tourism boards. 

Culture and Museum Cooperation

  1. The Embassy organizes cultural events and programs throughout the year with local and India-based artists throughout France. The high point was the Festival of India, Namaste France 2023, in the year 2023, which brought together renowned Indian visual and performing artists – classical, modern and contemporary. The festival comprised 18 concerts, 16 workshops, seven expert discussions, craft bazaar, tribal paintings exhibition, Rabari nomadic tribe photo exhibition and food courts. The overall footfall was around 20,000 and the events were widely covered by online and print media with over 160 articles.  The Embassy organizes cultural events and programs throughout the year with local and India-based artists throughout France. The Embassy also arranged multiple cultural events in 2024-25 and has been supporting various major events of cultural associations across France. The signature event of the 2025 International Day of Yoga was held on the banks of the Seine near the Eiffel Tower. France is also a valued knowledge partner in the establishment of the new national museum, Yuge Yugeen Bharat Museum, being developed in New Delhi. 

Cooperation in Blue Economy 

  1. The first India-France Dialogue on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance was held in Paris on 12 October 2023. Both sides had a detailed discussion to explore cooperation on the agenda items across the institutional, economic and infrastructure, scientific, academic, and cultural pillars of blue economy. 

Cooperation in Environment

  1. The fourth meeting of Indo-French Joint Working Group on Environment was held on 10 July 2024. Recalling the richness of the bilateral cooperation in environment, climate change, biodiversity and pollution, the sides agreed to work under the Blue Economy Dialogue in the areas of coastal ecosystem and services, marine and coastal planning and in coastal ecology and environment. 

Cooperation in Health 

  1. The first Joint Working Group meeting in the field of healthcare was held on 28-29 January 2025 in Paris. Both sides held detailed discussions on anti-microbial resistance, digital health and human resources for health.  

Cooperation in Science and Technology

  1. India and France have a rich history of cooperation in the fields of science and technology. The cooperation ranges from health, digital, energy and oceans to applied mathematics.  Several linkages have been forged between both the sides, namely between MoES, MeITY, DST, DBT, and CSIR on the Indian side, and ANR, CNRS, INSERM, INRIA, and Institut Pasteur on the French side. The broad areas of cooperation are discussed and agreed upon annually under India-France Joint Committee on Science and Technology. The Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (IFCPAR/CEFIPRA), established in 1987, acts as one of the key institutions driving research activities between the two sides. 

  2. The second Joint Science and Technology Committee was held on 18 January 2024. Broadly, the topics discussed included: (i) Energy: Green Hydrogen, energy conservation and storage, (ii) Climate change and sustainable cities: carbon capture and utilization and storage technologies, sequestration, (iii) Digital Technologies: AI for sustainability, autonomous navigation, (iv) Quantum Technology: Quantum computing, sensing and metrology, materials and devices, (v) Health: Cancer research and innovations, novel therapeutics, novel diagnostics for early detection of emerging diseases, AI applications in healthcare, host-pathogen interactions of emerging infectious diseases (vi) Oceans, and (vi) Applied mathematics. The 38th Governing Body meeting of CEFIPRA was held on 24 February 2025 in New Delhi. In 2024, Women in Science Program was launched, dedicated to young women scientists of both India and France. A virtual network between Institute of Liver and Biliary Sciences and INSERM was launched as Indo-French Node Liver & Metabolic Disease Network (InFLiMeN). An MoU between DST and ANR France was signed during the second Joint Committee Meeting on 18 January 2024 in New Delhi. The areas selected for the calls under this MoU are decarbonated hydrogen and applied mathematics towards digital AI.

Indian Community in France 

  1. There is a large presence of Indian diaspora in French mainland and its overseas territories. In mainland France, the diaspora size is estimated at about 1,19,000, largely originating from the erstwhile French colonies of Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam, Mahe and Chandernagore, and the states of Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Punjab. The estimated Indian-origin population in French Overseas Territories is over 350,000: Reunion Island (over 300,000), Guadeloupe (over 57,000), Martinique (over 8,000) and Saint Martin (over 1,900). There are over 50 Indian community organisations active in France.

  2. There had been a long-standing request from the Indian-origin communities in Guadeloupe and Martinique for registration under the scheme of Overseas Citizen of India, which has been granted through a notification dated 11 July 2024 from the Ministry of Home Affairs of India and was announced by the Ambassador during his visit to the islands on 20-21 August 2024. 

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July 2025

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