Focus Europe
“Focus Europe” features studies of strategic developments and security issues in Europe, the progress of India-EU relations, and India’s ties with major European powers.
This month’s issue is focused on French President Macron’s visit to India, which yielded significant outcomes, including the elevation of bilateral ties to a Special Global Strategic Partnership. The visit spanned Delhi, Mumbai, and Bangalore, combining high-level diplomacy with concrete industrial and technological milestones.
Defence cooperation was the major highlight. The DAC’s clearance of the procurement of Rafale fighter jets, timed around the visit, signalled France’s emergence as a key structural defence partner. Crucially, the deal included co-production under the Make in India framework, with India retaining space for country-specific integrations and classified modifications, a significant advance for both sides.
Two additional defence deals were also announced in the course of the visit: an MoU for joint production of HAMMER precision-guided missiles by BEL and Safran, and the inauguration of the H125 helicopter Final Assembly Line, a private sector facility of TATA Advanced Systems and Airbus, designed for domestic use and third-country exports. In Bangalore, the Defence Ministers of the two countries separately renewed the bilateral defence partnership until 2036.
Innovation formed the second pillar. Both leaders launched the India-France Year of Innovation 2026 and the Indo-French Innovation Network, a digital platform connecting startups, investors, universities, and research centres across the two countries. Macron’s presence at the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi signalled France’s intent to serve as a bridge between India and Europe on technology governance and responsible AI.
Three broader signals stand out. France is doubling down on India, its first strategic partner since 1998. Defence ties are now structural, with India consistently among the largest destinations for French arms exports. And the Horizon 2047 Roadmap, aligned with India’s centenary of independence, frames this as a generational partnership built on security, climate, and people.
This partnership works for both sides because political alignment and practical outcomes converge. France’s doctrine of strategic autonomy and India’s comfort with multipolarity reflect a shared outlook: sovereign decision-making and diversified partnerships over bloc dependence. This convergence also fits into a broader pattern of deepening European engagement with India.
The real test will now centre around implementation of agreements, but the trajectory is clear: the India-France partnership is strategically deep, industrially expanding, and increasingly relevant for the future of both nations.
To read this issue, please click Focus Europe, Vol. II, Issue 2.
