India and France on Monday reaffirmed their commitment to further strengthening bilateral defence cooperation, with a renewed emphasis on co-design, co-development and co-production of defence platforms and advanced technologies.

The commitment was reiterated during a meeting in New Delhi between Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh and France’s Chief of Defence, General (Air) Fabien Mandon. The discussions built on the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to France, where both countries agreed to expand their strategic defence collaboration.

Defence Leaders Review Bilateral Cooperation

According to the Ministry of Defence, General Mandon called on Defence Secretary Rajesh Kumar Singh on July 20 to review the progress of the India-France defence partnership.

In a post on X, the ministry said both sides reaffirmed their commitment to deepening defence ties, with a particular focus on boosting defence industrial cooperation through co-design, co-development and co-production in line with the vision of Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

The ministry added that the discussions also built upon the outcomes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to France.

Modi-Macron Talks Set Direction for Defence Ties

Prime Minister Modi held bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron at Villa Kerylos in Nice in June. The meeting was the first between the two leaders after India and France elevated their relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership earlier this year.

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, the leaders held extensive discussions covering multiple aspects of the bilateral relationship and expressed satisfaction over the growing depth of defence cooperation across land, maritime, air and other domains.

They agreed to further intensify collaboration by advancing joint design, development and production of defence platforms and cutting-edge technologies.

Cooperation Extends Beyond Defence

During the June meeting, the two leaders also reviewed cooperation in the space sector, highlighting the long-standing partnership between the two countries.

They discussed expanding collaboration in areas including human spaceflight and space situational awareness, according to the MEA.

India and France maintain a robust defence partnership that increasingly incorporates the objectives of Aatmanirbhar Bharat. Bilateral defence cooperation is reviewed through the Annual Defence Dialogue at the Defence Minister level and the High Committee on Defence Cooperation at the Secretary level.

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