India and France upgrade bilateral ties to Special Global Strategic Partnership during Mumbai talks

Key facts

• India and France elevated their relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership after talks in Mumbai between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.
• The meeting produced 21 outcomes covering defence, critical minerals, technology, startups, advanced materials, health and skilling.
• Modi and Macron virtually inaugurated the H125 light utility helicopter final assembly line of Tata-Airbus in Karnataka.
• The first 'Made in India' H125 helicopter is scheduled for delivery in early 2027 and will be exported within the South Asian region.
• The two leaders launched the Indo-French Centre for AI in Health, Indo-French Centre for Digital Science and Technology, and National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics.
• An annual Foreign Ministers Dialogue was established to review implementation of the elevated partnership and Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
• India and France renewed their defence cooperation agreement and agreed on a joint venture between Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and Safran to produce Hammer missiles in India.
• Both countries decided on reciprocal deployment of officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.
• A Joint Advanced Technology Development Group on Critical and Emerging Technologies including defence was constituted.
• A Joint Declaration of Intent for Cooperation in Critical Minerals and Metals was issued.
• The Protocol on the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement between India and France was amended.
• Letters of Intent were signed between T-Hub and Nord France on startup ecosystems and between Department of Biotechnology (DBT) and ANRS on infectious disease research.
• An agreement established the Indo-French Centre for Metabolic Health Sciences and a Letter of Intent launched the National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics.
• The Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the French Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty on Renewable Energy Cooperation was renewed.