India-France Strategic Partnership

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.