Opinion The chemistry, economics and strategic convergence of Delhi’s tango with Paris

The elevation of ties between India and France to a Special Global Strategic Partnership is testament to the durability of the relationship and to a shared commitment to strategic autonomy that avoids rigid bloc politics. France has long been one of India’s most dependable partners, with whom ties have acquired renewed momentum over the past 12 months. It was exactly a year ago that PM Narendra Modi was in France — his sixth visit as head of government — to co-chair the AI Action Summit in Paris, where the two sides committed, among other things, to jointly develop nuclear reactors and deepen defence cooperation. This time, too, defence and AI dominated the agenda during talks between PM Modi and President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai. Both countries view their engagement as one that transcends a purely bilateral framework. The long-term strategic convergence articulated in the Horizon 2047 Roadmap is designed to support one another in a world where might-is-right is increasingly the governing principle.

It is a shared reading of the strained international order that has prompted France and India to continue upgrading defence ties. A significant boost came days before President Macron’s visit, when the Defence Acquisition Council, chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, cleared a long-pending proposal to procure 114 Rafale aircraft from France. Thirty-six Rafale jets are already in service in the IAF, and the Indian Navy is set to induct 26 Rafale Marine aircraft. The move aligns with India’s continuing efforts to diversify defence imports and reduce its dependence on Russia as its principal military supplier. Beyond fighter jets and hard defence cooperation, the joint statement underscores collaboration across a wide spectrum, from emerging technologies and critical minerals to space, climate action, global health and AI.

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The India-France friendship rests on a shared respect for each other’s interests and strategic autonomy. For instance, Paris does not presume to influence New Delhi’s options regarding Russia, even as, after the invasion of Ukraine, France-Russia ties have deteriorated. At the same time, China is France’s largest trading partner in Asia, even as PM Modi and President Macron, in their joint statement, reaffirmed their commitment to a “rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific region”. Given that the Modi-Macron meeting comes on the heels of the signing of the India-EU FTA in January, it is evident that New Delhi views Europe not as a junior partner to a US-led West, but as an independent strategic actor. The India-France partnership, thus, also serves as a conduit for deepening India’s engagement with Europe.