Last Updated on February 17, 2026 11:07 pm by INDIAN AWAAZ
India and France today agreed to upgrade the India-France relationship to a Special Global Strategic Partnership. There were a total of 21 outcomes. Both sides agreed on the establishment of an annual Foreign Ministers Dialogue for regularly reviewing the implementation of the elevated partnership and Horizon 2047 Roadmap. Both nations agreed to the launch of the India-France Year of Innovation and the India-France Innovation Network.
On the Defence and Security, India’s first Assembly Line to build the H125 Helicopter has been inaugurated at Vemagal, Karnataka. Both countries also agreed on the renewal of the Agreement between the Government of India and the French Republic on Defence Cooperation and the Joint Venture between BEL and Safran to produce HAMMER missiles in India. There will be reciprocal deployment of officers at the Indian Army and the French Land Forces establishments.
On Critical and Emerging Technologies, including defence, there will be the constitution of a Joint Advanced Technology Development Group. There will be a Joint Declaration of Intent for Cooperation in Critical Minerals and Metals, and a Letter of Intent was exchanged to establish a Centre on Advanced Materials between DST and CNRS. There will be an amendment to the Protocol on the Double Tax Avoidance Agreement between India and France. There was a Letter of Intent between T-Hub and Nord France on strategic cooperation in start-up ecosystems, innovation and technology and an MoU for Scientific collaboration between DST and CNRS.
There was a Joint Declaration of Intent on establishing an Indo-French Centre for Digital Sciences and Technology. The Indo-French Centre for AI in Health will be launched at AIIMS, New Delhi. The Letter of Intent between DBT and ANRS was on Cooperation in Research and Development on Infectious Diseases and Global Health Research. There was an agreement for the establishment of the Indo-French Centre for Metabolic Health Sciences.
A Letter of Intent was shared to establish a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics. There will be a renewal of the Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy and the Ministry for the Economy, Finance and Industrial, Energy and Digital Sovereignty on Renewable Energy Cooperation. A Letter of Intent was exchanged between the Department of Posts, the Ministry of Communications and La Poste, France.