India has marked a significant step in defense and space cooperation with France through a groundbreaking Defence Space Agreement. Providing a platform for joint development of military satellites, this collaborative effort aims to enhance global situational awareness and secure communication and surveillance satellites in times of conflict. Signed discreetly on January 26 by French Defence Minister Sebastien Lecornu and India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, the agreement underscored the deepening ties between the two nations during French President Emmanuel Macron’s attendance at India’s Republic Day celebrations alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The defence space partnership enables India and France to jointly build defence capacities and operational capabilities, focusing on transparency across air, land, and sea battlefields. Discussions have affirmed that France’s support for India extends beyond limits, and includes the development of new defense platforms tailored to the needs of both countries, reinforcing a long-term commitment against the backdrop of global political alignments on various international conflicts. Both countries are also keen to maintain independent foreign policies while offering mutual support, even amid differing stances on some issues. Macron’s visit to India not only cemented a five-year Schengen visa scheme for Indian youth but signaled France’s readiness to back India in developing state-of-the-art defense technologies, fostering job creation, and decreasing reliance on foreign military imports by locally manufacturing defense equipment.
The warmth of the bilateral relationship was also captured in a personal moment when Macron was introduced to India’s Unified Payments Interface (UPI) by Modi during their tea outing in Jaipur, evidencing a blend of tradition and innovation that characterizes the Indo-French partnership. This visit also leads to the prospect of UPI being implemented in France, demonstrating the potential for an expanding technological collaboration that may eventually facilitate Indian travelers’ payments in France through UPI.