Of all the security partnerships that India has now with other countries, the one with France has been the most enduring. In 1998, France was the first country with which India established a strategic partnership, which has since been accorded to more than 30 countries. This will see further impetus during French President Emmanuel Macron’s visit to India from 19-202 Feb. 2026. This is his fourth visit since 2018 signalling the importance to its relations with New Delhi.
Both sides are going to further strengthen their ties in the wake of ongoing geopolitical tensions plaguing their respective eastern and western front. For France, its Russia-Ukraine war and strained relations with US over tariffs and Greenland. For India its disputes with Pakistan and China along with straining of ties with US during Trump Presidency.
The visit will focus on strengthening the India-France Strategic Partnership, specifically within the framework of the ‘Horizon 2047 Roadmap,’ setting the course for the next 25 years, which will in-turn mark centenaries of India’s independence and diplomatic relations between both countries. President Macron will attend The India-AI Impact Summit 2026 during his visit that was announced by Prime Minister Modi at the France-AI Action Summit co-chaired by both leaders in Paris in February 2025. Both sides nations are commemorating 2026 as ‘India-France Year of Innovation’, by stepping up their strategic partnership in the fields of innovation, artificial intelligence and future technologies. This landmark initiative celebrates the deep cooperation between the two nations across AI, deeptech, research, industrial innovation, and digital economy.
The economic partnership between the two is increasing but has not realized its full potential. The recently negotiated EU-India free trade agreement can benefit both nations and must seize this opportunity. The bilateral trade between the two jumped for €7.65 billion in 2020-21 to approx. €12.75 billion in 2024-25. France has emerged as a major source of foreign direct investment (FDI) for India with more than 1,000 French establishments already present in India. France holds the 11th largest investor position in India, with FDI inflow of €9.9 billion from April 2000-March 2025. There are more than 150 Indian companies operating in France (including sub-subsidiaries), employing more than 7,000 persons.
For decades, India and France have become reliable defence partners, and this is expected to continue.
For decades, India and France have become reliable defence partners, and this is expected to continue. France is the second largest supplier of arms (after Russia), accounting for 33% of India’s arms imports. In 2020-24 by far the biggest share of French arms exports went to India 28%, which was almost twice the share that went to European recipient states combined at 15%. Just last week India’s defence acquisition council approved the purchase 114 Rafale fighter jets from Dassault one of the largest defence deals done by India to date. Under the India-France Defence Industrial Roadmap, it 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.
Another area of cooperation is the Indo-Pacific, their partnership in the Indian Ocean has become an important focus of their bilateral relations. Both sides have agreed on a ‘Joint Strategic Vision of India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region’ in 2018. The visit will also review the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) that aims to foster connectivity, sustainable growth trajectories and access to clean energy across these regions. In this context the strategic location of Marseille in the Mediterranean Sea is critical.
This year is special, as France hosts the G7 summit while India hosts the BRICS summit, while both are members of the G20 and cooperate on many fronts. The two countries are active in the international arena, they are committed to multipolarity, and their working together is important not only for the bilateral relationship but also for stabilising global politics. Apart from these, India and France are increasingly engaged in diverse areas of cooperation such as counter terrorism, climate change, renewable energy and sustainable growth and development. France is a founding member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), announced by India in 2015 at UN Climate Change CoP21.
This year is special, as France hosts the G7 summit while India hosts the BRICS summit, while both are members of the G20 and cooperate on many fronts.
Moving ahead, France and India need to deepen and diversify its relations beyond the three principal pillars of strategic cooperation, defence and security, civil nuclear and space sector to other areas such as technology, AI, cybersecurity, education, trade in services, climate action, tourism etc. Both sides need to promote their respective start-up ecosystems and provide budding startups and entrepreneurs a platform to interact and create network to strengthen their businesses across the two regions and learn from their respective best practices.
To conclude, both nations should aim to further broaden and deepen bilateral and multilateral partnerships to provide stability and predictability to the world order in unpredictable times when the ‘instrumentalization of tariff’ is becoming counterproductive. India is one of France’s closest partners, two countries have long enjoyed a relationship of trust and mutual respect. This visit should aim to further strengthen their partnership in the tumultuous world and times.
