India-France Bilateral Briefing: Deepening Strategic Partnership and Future Prospects
Covering key annual milestones, high-level interactions, defense and security, economic and technological cooperation, and people-to-people exchanges, it analyzes the blueprint for the development of bilateral relations in the next year.
Detail
Published
23/12/2025
Key Chapter Title List
- Overview
- High-Level Political Exchanges
- Ministerial Visits
- Defense Cooperation
- Trilateral Cooperation
- Space Cooperation
- Cyber Cooperation
- Counter-Terrorism Cooperation
- Civil Nuclear Cooperation
- Economic Cooperation
- Digital Cooperation
- Cultural and Tourism Cooperation
Document Introduction
Since establishing a strategic partnership in 1998, India and France have consistently maintained a close and friendly bilateral relationship. The areas of cooperation encompass core pillars such as defense and security, civil nuclear affairs, and space, and have gradually expanded to multiple dimensions including Indo-Pacific affairs, maritime security, digitalization, and cybersecurity. The year 2023, marking the 25th anniversary of the establishment of their strategic partnership, served as a crucial milestone in the development of bilateral relations. It not only established the "Horizon 2047" roadmap for the year 2047 but also laid the groundwork for cooperation by the time of India's centenary of independence and the centenary of diplomatic relations between the two countries.
The report systematically reviews the high-level political interactions between India and France in 2023. These include Prime Minister-level reciprocal visits, bilateral meetings on multilateral occasions such as the G20 Summit, G7 Summit, and COP28 Summit, as well as specialized visits and dialogues by cabinet officials including the Defense Minister, Finance Minister, and Commerce Minister. Notably, the Indian Prime Minister's attendance as the guest of honor for France's National Day celebrations and the conferment of the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour became landmark events in the annual bilateral relationship, highlighting the special nature of the ties and the high-level mutual trust.
In core areas of cooperation, defense cooperation has shown a steady deepening trend. Through annual defense dialogues, joint military exercises (such as VARUNA, FRINJEX-23), joint equipment research and development, and the establishment of a DRDO office in France, defense synergy under the "self-reliance" orientation has been strengthened. Space cooperation continues a tradition of over fifty years. Through agreements like the Strategic Space Dialogue and the TRISHNA Earth observation mission, cooperation in areas such as launch technology and satellite applications has been consolidated. In the civil nuclear field, the focus remains on the Jaitapur nuclear power project, while exploring prospects for cooperation on small and medium modular reactors, promoting the implementation of sustainable nuclear energy solutions.
On the economic front, as a significant source of investment for India, France's cumulative FDI stock exceeds $10.76 billion. Bilateral trade covers various sectors including engineering equipment, aviation products, pharmaceuticals, and chemicals. In the 2023-24 fiscal year (up to August), India's exports to France amounted to $3.06 billion, with imports at $2.36 billion. Furthermore, the implementation of UPI payments in digital cooperation, joint R&D on supercomputers, and activities in the cultural sphere such as the "Namaste France" festival, artistic exchanges, and tourism promotion have further enriched the substance of the bilateral relationship and strengthened people-to-people ties.
The report also covers progress in cooperation between the two countries in areas such as counter-terrorism, blue economy, clean energy, science and technology, and education, as well as the distribution and interaction of the Indian diaspora in France. By comprehensively presenting the multi-dimensional achievements and institutional arrangements of bilateral cooperation, it provides an authoritative reference for understanding the depth, breadth, and future direction of the India-France strategic partnership. It holds significant value for analyzing strategic cooperation between middle powers in the context of global multipolarity.