India and France Deepen Strategic Partnership with Focus on Defence and Space

India and France have shared close ties since 1947, formalized through the landmark Strategic Partnership launched on 26 January 1998, a first-ever for India with a Western nation, and the first for France with a non-Western nation. This partnership reflects their vision of enhancing strategic autonomy through deep bilateral cooperation. Defence and security, civil nuclear collaboration and space are core pillars of this relationship. This partnership has broadened significantly, encompassing artificial intelligence, science and technology, innovation, blue economy, environment, renewable energy, sustainable development, and trilateral cooperation, with a strong focus on the Indo-Pacific region. India and France share a robust defence partnership that has steadily expanded across military, industrial, and strategic domains, with a growing emphasis on Atmanirbhar Bharat. The sixth Annual Defence Dialogue, co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and French Armed Forces Minister Catherine Vautrin in Bengaluru on 17 February 2026, renewed the 10‑year defence cooperation agreement and announced reciprocal officer deployments at each other’s army establishments—signaling deeper institutional integration. High-level military exchanges have been frequent, with visits by senior chiefs from both sides, including the French Navy Chief’s participation in the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and the Indian Air Chief’s visit to France in June 2026. Major milestones include the commissioning of the sixth Scorpene submarine in January 2025 and delivery of 36 Rafale jets in 2022. Further, the 2025 agreement for 26 Rafale-M aircraft for the Indian Navy incorporates technology transfer, indigenous weapons integration, and establishment of fuselage production and MRO facilities in India. Industrial cooperation has accelerated, highlighted by Safran’s Hyderabad-based deep-level aircraft engine MRO centre inaugurated in November 2025, capable of servicing 300 LEAP engines annually. Safran has also announced an M88 engine MRO shop and partnered with Bharat Electronics Limited to manufacture Hammer air-to-surface weapons. The M88 engine is used on the Rafale fighter aircraft. Additionally, the H125 helicopter assembly line was inaugurated in Karnataka in February 2026. Operational cooperation between the armed forces of the two nations is equally strong. The three services of both the countries hold individual exercises with each other annually. These wargames are Exercise Shakti for the army, the air forces of both the nations hold Exercise Garuda and both navies participate in Exercise Varuna. Over the years, these wargames have have grown in scale. The complemented by participation in multilateral drills like Milan and La Perouse. Maritime cooperation is further reinforced through regular port calls. India’s participation in France’s AsterX space exercises reflects expanding defence-space collaboration.