India and France Elevate Relations to Special Global Strategic Partnership during President Macron's Visit

Key facts

• Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron elevated the India-France relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership.
• Bilateral trade between India and France crossed $15 billion in 2024-25, driven by aircraft manufacturing, information technology, pharmaceuticals, and critical minerals.
• An annual Foreign Ministers Dialogue was established to review the implementation of the elevated partnership and the Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
• The leaders launched the India-France Year of Innovation and the India-France Innovation Network.
• An H125 helicopter final assembly line was inaugurated at Vemagal, Karnataka.
• Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Safran entered a joint venture to produce Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range (HAMMER) missiles in India.
• The bilateral agreement on defence cooperation was renewed for a period of 10 years during the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue.
• Reciprocal deployment of officers will be implemented at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.
• A Joint Advanced Technology Development Group was constituted to enhance technological cooperation.
• A Joint Declaration of Intent was signed for cooperation in the sector of critical minerals and metals.
• The Department of Science and Technology (DST) and the French National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) to establish a centre on advanced materials and a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for scientific collaboration.
• The protocol on the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement (DTAA) between the two nations was amended.
• The Indo-French Centre for Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Health was launched at the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.
• New centres were established for Digital Sciences and Technology, Metabolic Health Sciences, and a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics.
• The Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and ANRS signed an LoI for cooperation in research and development on infectious diseases and global health.
• T-Hub and Nord France signed an LoI for strategic cooperation in start-up ecosystems, innovation, and technology.
• The Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) renewed its MoU on renewable energy cooperation with the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty.
• The Department of Posts, Ministry of Communications, signed an LoI with La Poste, France.
• President Macron invited PM Modi to the Group of Seven (G7) Summit to be chaired by France in 2026.