The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army

During his recent two-day visit to India on January 25-26, 2024, French President Emmanuel Macron was the Chief Guest at India's 75th Republic Day Parade on January 26, 2024. A 93-soldier marching contingent and a 33-member band contingent of the French Foreign Legion, including six Indian Legionnaires, marched down Kartavya Path. Three aircrafts of the French Air and Space Force also flew over Kartavya Path together with the aircraft of the Indian Air Force (IAF). Macron's visit marked the 25th anniversary of the India-France Strategic Partnership. This was his third visit to India as President of France and the sixth time that a French President was Chief Guest at India's Republic Day Parade.

During President Macron's visit, India and France signed deals for various sectors, including defence, space exploration, civil aviation, science and technology, health, public administration, and urban development

Six months earlier, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was the Guest of Honour at the French National Day, 'Bastille Day' on July 14, 2023, where a 269-strong Indian military contingent participated in the parade. Of the 269 Indian military personnel at the Bastille Day Parade, Indian Army was represented by the Punjab Regiment contingent, the Indian Navy team comprised four officers and 64 sailors, and the IAF contingent of 72 personnel included four Rafale fighter jets and two C-17 Globemaster aircraft.

During Prime Minister Modi's visit to Paris as the Guest of Honour at the French National Day on July 14, 2023, the two leaders unveiled Horizon 2047 Roadmap to set an ambitious and broad-ranging course for the bilateral relationship for 2047, the centenary year of India's independence.

During his visit to India in January 2024, President Macron was accompanied by a high-level delegation, including Ministers of Armed Forces, Culture, European and Foreign Affairs, as well as senior officials of the French Government and CEOs and industry leaders. PM Modi and President Macron held a road show in Jaipur. At New Delhi, President Droupadi Murmu hosted a banquet in honour of President Macron.

Prime Minister Modi and President Macron held wide ranging discussions on issues of mutual interests, including regional and global issues. Key announcements made after delegation level talks between the two sides included the following: declaring 2026 as India-France Year of Innovation; operationalisation of Unified Payment Interface (UPI) at Eiffel Tower; setting up of a Solar Academy in Senegal under the STAR-C programme of International Solar Alliance, establishment of India's Consulate in Marseille and French Bureau de France in Hyderabad; operationalisation of Young Professional Scheme under the Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement; operationalisation of 5-year validity Schengen Visa for Indian Masters alumni of French institutions; support to France for United Nations Ocean Conference to be organised in Nice in 2025.

Both leaders stressed the urgent need for reforming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC), with France reiterating its firm support for India's permanent membership

During President Macron's visit, India and France signed deals for various sectors, including defence, space exploration, civil aviation, science and technology, health, public administration and urban development, highlights of which are as follows:

• Roadmap for India-France defence industrial partnership.
• Letter of intent (LoI) between defence ministries of India and France on defence space partnership.
• Memorandum of understanding (MoU) between NewSpace India Limited (NSIL) and Arianespace SAS, France for space cooperation.
• MoU between TATA Advanced Systems Limited (TASL) and Airbus to set up an assembly line for H125 helicopters in India.
• Framework cooperation arrangement between Department of Science and Technology (DST) and Institut national de recherche pour L'Agriculture, L'Alimentation Et L'Environnement (INRAE), France.
• Framework arrangement on cooperation concerning funding of research projects between DST, India and Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), France. Declaration of intent between the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, India and Ministry of Labour, Health and Solidarity, France on cooperation in the field of health and medicine.
• Letter of intent between the Ministry of Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, India and Ministry of Public Sector Transformation and Civil Service, France on public administration and administrative reforms.
• Renewal of agreement between the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, India and Ministry of Ecological Transition and Territorial Cohesion, France on cooperation in sustainable urban development.

Both leaders welcomed progress in establishment of the MRO for LEAP engines in India by Safran and plans to add MRO for Rafale engines

Since the declaration of the Strategic Partnership in 1998, India and France have developed a partnership of exceptional consistency and strength, based on shared democratic values, strong belief in sovereignty and strategic autonomy, a shared commitment to a multipolar world, to rule of law and the principles of the UN Charter. Both leaders reaffirmed their vision that the India-France Strategic Partnership can help build prosperity and resilience in both economies, advance their countries' security, and a more sustainable and healthier future for the planet, seek solutions for global challenges, reinvigorate multilateralism and help build a stable international order and a more cohesive and united world. they reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, outlined in Horizon 2047 and other documents from the July 2023 Summit.

Both leaders stressed the urgent need for reforming the United Nations Security Council (UNSC). France reiterated its firm support for India's permanent membership of the UNSC. They acknowledged the crucial role of their partnership region for advancement of a free, open, inclusive, secure and peaceful Indo-Pacific and beyond.

Jawed Ashraf, Indian Ambassador to France, said that Safran is willing to transfer 100 per cent jet engine technology to India

In terms of defence and security, both leaders agreed to:

• intensify cooperation in the Southwest Indian Ocean, building on the joint surveillance missions carried out from the French island of La Reunion in 2020 and 2022;
• continue bilateral dialogue and identifying opportunities for using India as a base for manufacturing and exporting defence equipment to friendly countries;
• appreciate the growing India-France counter-terrorism and intelligence cooperation;
• laud all-round progress in defence and security partnership – extending from intelligence and information exchange to exercises, equipment and dialogues across all domains from the seabed to space.

Both leaders welcomed progress in establishment of the MRO for LEAP engines in India by Safran and plans to add MRO for Rafale engines, a comprehensive helicopter partnership with a Joint Venture for IMRH engine between HAL and Safran, and the Scorpene submarines constructed in India, including indigenisation. They also welcomed the discussions between India's Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and the French Directorate General of Armament (DGA), and intend to conclude an Arrangement MoU in an early timeframe.

China has been keenly watching the growing India-France Strategic Partnership, with President Macron's visit also coinciding with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France

Jawed Ashraf, Indian Ambassador to France, addressing the media on January 26, 2024, said that Safran is willing to transfer 100 per cent jet engine technology to India. During Prime Minister Modi's visit to Paris in July 2023, both nations had announced that a roadmap for the joint development project for a combat jet engine would be prepared by the end of that year. Ashraf said the primary focus of the deliberations at present was to "align the engine specifications with India's future fighter jet requirements." Safran, a key player in the aerospace industry, is willing to engage with India across various phases of the Advanced Medium Combat Aircraft (AMCA) project, including design development, certification, and production. India has already inked a deal with the US for the GE F414 engines for the Tejas Mk-II fighter jets. However, technology of the "inner core" of the engine will unlikely be transferred whether Safran or GE, notwithstanding the propaganda of 100 per cent transfer.

China has been keenly watching the growing India-France Strategic Partnership. President Macron's visit to India also coincided with the 60th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and France. In a message to France, Chinese President Xi Jinping offered to "break new ground" to give a fillip to the China-France ties. Xi said "As today's world is once again at a critical crossroads, China and France should jointly open up a path of peace, security, prosperity and progress for human development."