4 min readNew DelhiJan 27, 2024 06:52 AM IST
First published on: Jan 26, 2024 at 04:48 PM IST
India and France Friday adopted a Roadmap on Defence Industrial Cooperation as Prime Minister Narendra Modi held talks with visiting French President and Republic Day chief guest Emmanuel Macron Thursday and Friday.
The roadmap, said Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, underlined that the will identify opportunities in co-design, co-development and co-production in the defence industrial sector and it will cover a range of domains: air and space technology, maritime tech, underwater domain awareness, land warfare, robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous vehicles and cyber defence.
Defence and security has been one of the key pillars of the strategic partnership between India and France established on Jan 26, 1998. This year’s Republic Day celebrations also cap the 25th anniversary celebrations of the Indo-French strategic partnership forged during then French President Jacques Chirac’s visit, also as Chief Guest for the Republic Day celebrations.
“The whole idea… building the defence supply chains between two countries so that they can not only fulfil the defence needs in India but also can be a useful contributor for the security partnership with other countries,” said Kwatra. “The focus of conversation is on defence production.”
He added that the two sides also agreed on a roadmap on space and a pact between Tata and Airbus on making H-125 single-engine helicopters.
Both also agreed on cooperation in healthcare, which would include education, training and research, and the use of AI in healthcare.
The year, 2026, was declared as the year of India-France innovation with the two sides announcing a Young Professionals scheme for people between 18 to 35 years of age.
Kwatra said an MoU was sealed between New Space India Ltd and France’s Arianespace for cooperation in satellite launches.
He said that cooperation in space will involve space situational awareness, collision avoidance, earth monitoring, communications and broadcasting, and satellite launching services.
Modi and Macron also discussed the conflict in Gaza and its various dimensions including that terrorism and humanitarian aid, Kwatra said.
The two leaders also exchanged perspectives on the evolving security situation in the Red Sea including potential disruptions, he said.
Macron began his two-day trip to India with a visit to Jaipur Thursday, where he visited the Amer Fort, Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal. Modi accompanied Macron during the roadshow between Jantar Mantar and Hawa Mahal.
The French president is the sixth French leader to be the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations at Kartavya Path Friday, the most by any country, a testament to the breadth and depth of bilateral ties that encompass key strategic areas.
Launched on January 26, 1998, this strategic partnership was the first-ever for India with a country in the West and a first for France outside EU.
“The partnership draws strength, trust and consistency from a shared sense of strategic autonomy and sovereignty, a quest for the multi-polar world, and a natural affinity for democratic values and rule of law,” an official said.
The partnership now includes a strong Indo-Pacific component. “The salience of the partnership is growing in the changing world, complex geo-political environment and in pursuit of respective national ambitions,” the official said.
Macron also attended the At Home reception hosted by President Droupadi Murmu and will be hosted for a state banquet at Rashtrapati Bhawan, officials said.
The two leaders also exchanged perspectives on the evolving security situation in the Red Sea, including the potential disruptions and actual developments. PTI 
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