75th Republic Day: Further deepening of defence cooperation between India and France is topping the agenda of talks between the leaders of India and France. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron will hold bilateral talks in Hotel Taj Rambagh Palace on Thursday (Jan 25, 2024), according to an advisory issued by the Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).
Financial Express Online has reported recently that the focus of talks is expected to be on military and industrial collaboration as India aims to strengthen military manufacturing in the country.
Why?
Because this will help to enable local supply chains to access French and European markets and also to create jobs for the youth. The collaboration spans a roadmap of 25 years, concentrating on India’s indigenous capabilities in producing aircraft engines, submarines, maritime technologies, land warfare systems and equipment, robotics, autonomous vehicles and platforms and cyber defence and addressing military challenges in space.
It has been reported previously, that defence minister Rajnath Singh visited France on October 11, for the 5th Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) where military industrial and operational cooperation was discussed at length.
It was during that meeting, according to sources, France reiterated its commitment to “Make in India” defence relationship with full technology sharing for India and friendly partners. Discussions have moved forward on the Defence Industrial Roadmap and both sides are also working on other co-development and co-production projects.
In addition to the defence minister’s visit, 6th India-France Maritime Cooperation Dialogue was held in Paris in October to cover, inter-alia, strategic aspects of the Indo-Pacific Roadmap again adopted in July. In the Indo-Pacific – India and France are also holding discussions for Indo-Pacific Triangular Cooperation (IPTDC)for climate and SDG-focused innovations in third countries.
Why France as India’s Strategic Ally?
France has emerged as a key ally for India, standing out among European nations for its willingness to share crucial defence technologies. This partnership, showcased during the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in September, focuses on reinforcing defence cooperation. The shared goal is to collaborate in designing, developing, testing, and manufacturing advanced defence technologies and platforms, positioning India to achieve self-reliance in the military sector. This collaboration is particularly geared towards meeting the defence needs of countries in the Indo-Pacific region.
Collaboration Inputs from Industry
In a proactive approach, the Ministry of Defence sought valuable inputs from the industry to shape a collaborative draft with France, emphasizing the scaling up of defence-industrial cooperation. Potential areas for joint efforts include maritime technologies, land warfare systems, robotics, autonomous vehicles, platforms, and cyber defence. While discussions with France on space defence cooperation are in their infancy, the willingness to explore such avenues is evident.
Negotiations surrounding the acquisition of core technologies have progressed, with ongoing talks and potential collaborations shared in the draft with France. A notable partnership has been formed between the state-owned Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and France-based Safran Helicopter Engines SAS. This joint venture, named “Safhal Helicopter Engines Pvt Ltd,” aims to collectively design, develop, certify, produce, sell, and support helicopter engines, bolstering India’s capabilities in Multi-Role Helicopters (IMRH).
Ongoing discussions also involve the establishment of a Maintenance, Repair, and Overhaul (MRO) facility for servicing and maintaining Rafale aircraft in the Indian Air Force’s fleet. The Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) granted the Acceptance of Necessity (AoN) for the Navy’s acquisition of 26 Rafale Marines from France, a substantial deal valued at approximately US$8 billion, ahead of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to Paris in July.
Negotiating Market Access Challenges
India is engaged in robust negotiations with France, navigating challenges posed by NATO and other constraints, to secure market access for its prominent domestic companies. In a bid to create an enabling ecosystem, the Modi government is considering the establishment of the Indian-France Defence Industry Joint Working Group. This group would actively identify opportunities in the global supply chain and respective markets. The Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers (SIDM) had previously signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with GIFAS, the French Aerospace Industries Association, in 2018. Additionally, India has expressed a willingness to explore the creation of a mechanism for defence startup partnerships, providing incubation and mentorship opportunities to further strengthen this strategic alliance.
Industry View
Sharing his views on the India-France Defence Cooperation, Ashish Saraf, VP and India Head, Thales says: “As we gear up to celebrate India’s Republic Day with President Macron invited as the Chief Guest, we look forward to much stronger collaboration between both nations, their people and businesses.”
According to Saraf, “India and France share a longstanding friendship driven by common values and shared aspirations. Thales takes pride in contributing to these strong bilateral ties by walking alongside India on every step of its growth story for the past seven decades and beyond. India has an excellent potential across our key markets Defence, Aviation and Digital Identity & Security coupled with an excellent engineering talent. We take pride in bringing the best-in-class technologies, fostering local collaborations, strengthening local teams at the engineering centres in Noida and Bengaluru, and advancing technological innovation.”
Adding, “We remain committed to the Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision, and are accelerating our ‘Make in India’ roadmap through a number of expansion initiatives. The recent inauguration of our second state-of-the-art facility in Bengaluru, our plan to set up our MRO centre for avionics in the NCR region, among others, are steps in this direction.”