India, France elevate ties to ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’

• India and France elevated their relations to ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’ following talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on February 17.

• Both countries celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership in 2023, on the occasion of which they adopted the Horizon 2047 Roadmap to set the course for the bilateral relationship up to 2047, the centenary year of India’s independence. 

• Through the establishment of a ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’, India and France are committed to deeper cooperation and coordination at bilateral, regional and global levels, guided by the India-France Horizon 2047 Roadmap.

Other key outcomes of the meeting:

• Bharat Electronics Ltd (BEL) and France’s Safran signed an MoU on joint venture for manufacturing Hammer missiles in India.

• Both leaders jointly inaugurated the H125 Final Assembly Line at Vemagal in Karnataka, a first of its kind private sector helicopter manufacturing facility in India. 

• Both sides agreed to constitute a Joint Advanced Technology Development Group to explore opportunities to co-develop emerging and critical technologies in identified niche areas to retain a competitive military edge, and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities.

• The two leaders established an annual Foreign Ministers Comprehensive Dialogue for regularly reviewing the progress of bilateral cooperation and implementation of the elevated partnership, and the Horizon 2047, in particular, in the areas of economic security, global issues and people to people exchanges.

• Both sides jointly inaugurated the 2026 India-France Year of Innovation. This year will feature a series of high-impact collaborations in India and France spanning diverse sectors. These engagements aim to enrich existing collaborations and foster new collaborations between startups, academic institutions, research bodies and industry, showcasing the shared commitment of India and France to co-develop solutions for a smarter, more sustainable future.

• India-France Innovation Network was launched to bring together the innovation ecosystems of France and India through a digital network, by connecting key stakeholders including innovators, start-ups, businesses and incubators of both countries.

• A Letter of Intent was signed between the Department of Science & Technology (DST) and CNRS to establish a Joint Center for Advanced Materials.

• Amendment to the bilateral tax treaty, which will secure economic activity for French and Indian businesses and pave the way for greater investments and collaborations between the two countries.

• Signing of Letter of Intent for establishment of a National Centre of Excellence in Aeronautics and allied sectors at the National Skill Training Institute (NSTI), Kanpur.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)