&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Ahead of G7 Summit, a look at the growing India-France strategic partnership")
The India-French relationship hit an inflexion point in February 2026, when French President Emmanuel Macron visited India for the AI impact summit, elevating bilateral ties to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership” expanding defence, nuclear, AI, space, and Indo-Pacific cooperation. The bilateral trade between the two nations has more than doubled over the last decade to $15.81 billion. Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be on a visit to France for the G7 summit from June 13. This will be India’s 13th participation at the G7 Summit and Prime Minister Modi’s seventh consecutive participation at the G7 Summit.The G7 Summit under the French Presidency has chosen some key priorities for the current year. These are reducing excessive macroeconomic imbalances, and fostering shared growth, renewing international partnerships and development solidarities, strengthening the resilience of critical mineral value chains, protecting minors online, and settling major geopolitical crises.France is currently the third-largest trading partner of India within the European Union. Building on the 25 years of strategic cooperation, the two nations projected a vision of the Horizon 2047 initiative, which aims to strengthen India-France relations.
Defence relationship
The relationship between the two nations is profoundly anchored in defence procurement, technology transfers, and co-production. France is the second-largest arms supplier to India. India has formally inducted 36 Rafales into the IAF squadrons, while it has requested 114 more jets, 90 of which are supposed to be manufactured in India. However, the collaboration goes well beyond mere procurement. India and France continued cooperation on Scorpene submarines, including indigenisation and integration of DRDO-developed Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) systems, and discussions on joint production of engines for helicopters and fighter jets. The leaders virtually inaugurated the H-125 helicopter Final Assembly Line in Vemagal, Karnataka. This facility, a partnership between Airbus and Tata Advanced Systems, is India's first private-sector helicopter manufacturing line.
However, the question still revolves around the transfer of technology, and the actual percentages of indigenous components remains unclear, meaning "Make in India" success depends on how quickly the local supply chain can scale for complex aerospace parts. The focus is shifting toward combat engine co-development for India’s future fighter programs.
Nuclear programme
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Both sides reaffirmed civil nuclear cooperation, including the long-pending Jaitapur nuclear power plant, and signed agreements on Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), alongside an educational partnership between India's GCNEP and France's INSTN for training nuclear professionals. India's current capacity is only around 8.2 GW; achieving a 12-fold increase in 20 years requires unprecedented capital. However, attention has shifted toward private sector participation in the nuclear field following India’s recent reforms.
AI-philosophy
Artificial Intelligence was one of the major focuses of the February visit of Macron. Modi and Macron launched the India-France Roadmap on AI, built on their shared vision for secure and ethical AI development. The focus is on safe open source and trustworthy AI. Indian startups were included at the French Startup Incubator Station F. Both nations had a convergent vision on AI governance, one which is democratic rather than driven by US and Chinese tech giants. However, the technology itself is nascent, so the idea of governance remains speculative.
Space and global governance
India is set to participate in the International Space Summit in France in July 2026, and the third India-France Strategic Space Dialogue will also be held in 2026. In 2021, ISRO and CNES signed a new space cooperation agreement in which India's space startups are benefiting from France's expertise in AI-based satellite applications.
France is also supporting India's bid for permanent membership of the UNSC; coordination on the regulation of veto in mass atrocities. Both nations have a convergence on key issues such as support for cessation of hostilities and just peace based on UN Charter principles, respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, establishment of the state of Palestine under UNSC resolution, and emphasis on dialogue and diplomacy to end the US-Iran war and maintain freedom of navigation in internation water.
