New Delhi, January 27, 2024 – In a landmark development, India and France have revealed an ambitious defense industrial roadmap aimed at co-developing critical military hardware. The announcement came following talks between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron, with significant collaborations spanning defense, space, and economic sectors.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, outlining the outcomes of the discussions, highlighted key decisions, including a scheme for the exchange of professionals aged 18 to 35 and the activation of Schengen visas with a five-year validity for Indian postgraduate alumni of French institutions.
The comprehensive agreements, totaling nine, encompass defense-space partnership, satellite launches, healthcare engagement, and scientific research. Notable among these agreements is the Tata Group and Airbus collaboration to jointly build H125 helicopters, marking a significant stride in the private sector’s involvement in helicopter production in India.
The defense industrial roadmap outlines plans for deepening the integration between the defense industrial sectors of both nations. The leaders expressed commitment to co-design, co-develop, and co-produce military hardware, not only to meet India’s defense needs but also to provide a reliable source of defense supplies to other friendly countries.
The pact on defense space partnership holds particular importance, facilitating joint work on a space situational awareness program. This program is expected to be crucial for developing military satellites and sharing essential information on space traffic and debris.
According to Kwatra, the defense roadmap will encompass technology collaboration in air and space domains, underwater awareness, land warfare, robotics, cyber defense, artificial intelligence, and autonomous vehicles. The year 2026 is set to be celebrated as the India-France year of innovation.
The Tata-Airbus deal is not the only noteworthy collaboration; a pact between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and the French space agency Arianespace aims to co-develop, manufacture, and launch satellites and payloads while conducting research in new launch vehicle technologies.
The discussions also touched upon ongoing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region and the Indo-Pacific, emphasizing the broader geopolitical engagement between the two nations.
In addition to defense and space collaborations, the leaders addressed civil-nuclear cooperation, with ongoing discussions on elements such as localization, financial viability, and cost-effectiveness. The small modular reactors (SMRs) domain emerged as a new area of discussion, with a positive outlook for future cooperation.
Both leaders condemned the recent terrorist attack on Israel and expressed solidarity with its people. They emphasized the need for respecting international humanitarian law, calling for a humanitarian ceasefire to facilitate aid to the affected population in the Gaza region.
The joint statement reaffirmed the unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms, with a shared commitment to fight against this global menace. The leaders called for concerted action against all terrorists and emphasized the importance of upholding international standards on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism.
The strategic alliance between India and France, spanning defense, space, and economic cooperation, marks a significant step forward in their bilateral relations, promising innovations and advancements in various sectors.
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