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India-France Strategic Partnership
Context
Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited France from February 10 to 12, 2024, at the invitation of French President Emmanuel Macron. This visit deepened India-France relations in multiple strategic areas, reinforcing their role as long-term partners in defence, technology, trade, and energy.
India-France Strategic Partnership
- India and France have been strategic partners since 1998 and have collaborated in defence, space, and nuclear energy.
- During PM Modi’s recent visit, both nations reviewed the "Horizon 2047" Roadmap, which outlines long-term cooperation goals.
- India and France have traditionally supported a multipolar world order, meaning they want a balanced global power structure, not dominated by one country like the USA or China.
- Defence Cooperation:
- France has been a key defence supplier to India, especially after the 1998 Pokhran-II nuclear tests when other Western nations imposed sanctions on India.
- France is among the top three arms exporters globally (2019-2023) and has been crucial for India’s defence modernization.
- Key defence agreements during the visit:
- Scorpene Submarine Project – Ongoing collaboration for submarines to strengthen India’s Navy.
- Additional Rafale fighter jets & helicopters – France is already supplying 36 Rafale jets, and discussions continue for more.
- Defence Industrial Roadmap – Focus on co-developing military technology in India under ‘Make in India’.
- Pinaka Multi-Barrel Rocket Launcher – India offered this indigenous weapon system to France for joint collaboration.
Key-areas of Significance:
India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC)
- The IMEC was first discussed at the G20 Summit (2023) in New Delhi and aims to create a new trade route connecting India, the Middle East, and Europe.
- France proposed Marseille (a port city) as a key hub for this corridor.
- The corridor will have:
- Eastern section – Connecting India to the Gulf region (UAE, Saudi Arabia).
- Northern section – Connecting the Gulf region to Europe.
- IMEC aims to reduce dependency on existing trade routes and provide India a faster, safer alternative to reach European markets.
Nuclear Energy Cooperation: Focus on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
- France is a global leader in nuclear energy, generating 70% of its electricity from nuclear power.
- India-France collaboration on nuclear power was a key agenda:
- Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (Maharashtra) – A proposed project for French-built nuclear reactors has faced delays due to high costs and legal issues.
- New focus on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) & Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) –
- These reactors require less land and lower investment.
- In Budget 2024, India announced Rs 20,000 crore for SMR research, making this collaboration more relevant.
- India and France signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to cooperate on SMRs and AMRs, signaling a shift in nuclear energy policy.
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