India's view of the world · A factual referenceLast updated 12 May 2026 · Edition 04
COUNTRY RELATIONSHIP · FRANCE
India & France
SPECIAL GLOBAL STRATEGIC PARTNERHORIZON 2047DEFENCE & SPACECIVIL NUCLEAR
France was India's first Strategic Partner among Western nations (1998), and India was France's first such partner among non-Western nations. Defence, civil nuclear and space form the core of the relationship, which has broadened into AI, blue economy, renewables and the Indo-Pacific. During President Macron's February 2026 visit for the AI Impact Summit, the two leaders elevated ties to a 'Special Global Strategic Partnership' and established an annual Foreign Ministers' Comprehensive Dialogue to track the Horizon 2047 roadmap adopted in 2023.
COOPERATION AREAS
Where India and France actually work together
8 active areas of cooperation, as of June 2026. Click any card for the full brief.
TRADE & INVESTMENT
By the numbers
FY 2025-26 figures as cited in MEA bilateral brief (June 2026). France is India's 3rd-largest EU trading partner and 11th-largest foreign investor.
The relationship is at a high point following February 2026's elevation to a Special Global Strategic Partnership and the launch of the Year of Innovation. Defence cooperation is deepening beyond procurement into co-production (Rafale-M fuselage, Safran's Hyderabad MRO hub, the BEL-Safran Hammer weapon JV), while the newly signed India-EU FTA is expected to lift trade further from its current €13.59bn base. Nuclear cooperation is shifting focus toward SMRs/AMRs alongside the long-running Jaitapur project, and digital cooperation (UPI expansion, DPI platforms) continues to broaden the relationship beyond its traditional defence-space-nuclear core.
SIGNALS TO WATCH
On track / positive momentum
In progress / worth watching
Stalled or facing headwinds
Not yet started / unclear
QUICK FACTS
CapitalParis
Population68 million
RegionEurope
Diplomatic tiesSince 1947
Indian diaspora~119,000 (mainland) + 350,000+ in overseas territories (Réunion, Guadeloupe, Martinique)
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