The already robust Indo French defence cooperation framework received a boost during Prime Minister Narendra’s Modi’s visit to France on 10th and 11th of February 2025. The India – France Joint Statement on the occasion highlighted some of the ongoing as well as the new tracks of cooperation as part of the Strategic Partnership. Missing however was any mention of the agreement for 26 Rafale M selected by the Indian Navy for operations aboard the aircraft carriers. The acquisition of the P 75 AS systems was however discussed. The developments are in tune with the ambitious Defence Industrial Roadmap agreed in 2024.
Naval Marine Industrial Cooperation
In the maritime acquisitions domain both leaders commended progress in collaboration in construction of Scorpene submarines in India, including indigenization, and in particular the work carried out with a view to the integration of DRDO developed Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) into P75-Scorpene submarines and the analyses conducted regarding the possible integration of the Integrated Combat System (ICS) into the future P75-AS submarines. In line with the same, both leaders welcomed the commissioning of the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene-class project, INS Vaghsheer, on 15 January 2025.
Missiles and Engines
India and France are also in discussions in missiles, helicopter engines and jet engines. Safran group and Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) are working on turbine forged parts for the LEAP engine program. LEAP engine (Leading Edge Aviation Propulsion) is a high-bypass turbofan engine produced by CFM International, a joint venture between GE Aerospace (United States) and Safran Aircraft Engines (France. Safran and HAL have a longstanding relationship, having jointly developed the "Shakti" helicopter engine and co-designed the Indian Multi-Role Helicopter (IMRH) engine.
Pinaka
Prime Minister Modi hs invited the French Army to take a closer look at the Pinaka MBLR, emphasizing that an acquisition of this system by France would be another milestone in Indo-French defence ties.
India in OCCAR
President Macron welcomed the decision to include India as an observer to the Eurodrone MALE programme managed by OCCAR, which is another step forward in the growing strength of our partnership in defence equipment programmes.
Military Exercises
Both leaders appreciated the regular conduct of military exercises in all domains including maritime exercises and joint patrolling by maritime patrol aircraft. They noted the recent visit of the French Carrier Strike Group Charles De Gaulle to India in January 2025, followed by the Indian Navy’s participation in the French multinational exercise La Perouse, and the future conduct of the Varuna exercise in March 2025.
R & D Start Ups and Innovation
FRIND-X (France-India Defence Startup Excellence) platform has been launched in Paris on 5-6 December 2024, involving the DGA and the Defence Innovation Agency, in line with the vision enshrined in HORIZON 2047 and the India-France Defence Industrial Roadmap. This collaborative platform brings together key stakeholders across both defence ecosystems, including defence startups, investors, incubators, accelerators, and academia, fostering a new era of defence innovation and partnership.
In order to deepen the research and development partnerships in defence, both leaders stressed on the early launch of an R&D framework through a Technical Arrangement for cooperation in defence technologies between DGA and DRDO.
In addition, both leaders welcomed the ongoing discussions between L’Office National d’Etudes et de RecherchesAérospatiales (ONERA) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to identify technologies for R&D partnerships.
Further, India welcomes the participation of Indian students, alongside French students, in the challenge on distributed intelligence launched recently by Interdisciplinary Center for Defence and Security from the Institut Polytechnique de Parisand encourages organizing of more joint challenges in the future to evoke the interest of students in defence.
Conclusion
India France defence cooperation presently marks the deepest engagement between the defence communities and industries of both nations, a place that was held by Russia till most recently and which the US is aspiring for in the future. Unlike the United States but and similar to the Russians France has an important footprint in the combat platforms operated by the Indian Navy and the Air Force, thus giving and edge.
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