India and France have agreed to collaborate on the joint manufacturing of military equipment such as helicopters and submarines, according to a statement released by the Indian government.
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This partnership will cater to the needs of the Indian armed forces and also support production for friendly nations. The agreement was made during French President Emmanuel Macron's visit, where he met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and attended a state banquet hosted by President Draupadi Murmu.
The statement further mentioned that Macron and Modi have agreed to strengthen bilateral relations in various sectors including defence production, nuclear energy, space research, and the utilization of artificial intelligence in public services like climate change, health, and agriculture.
During Macron's 40-hour visit, the leaders expressed their appreciation for France's Safran establishing maintenance, repair, and overhaul services in India for LEAP engines in the aviation industry, as well as extending these services to Rafale engines and engaging in a helicopter partnership. This bilateral summit marked the fifth meeting between Macron and Modi since May.
Enhancing Collaboration
Thank you President @EmmanuelMacron for being a part of our Republic Day celebrations. Your presence will add great momentum to India-France ties. https://t.co/xeW5jYPS6d pic.twitter.com/nwii0HqA6o
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) January 26, 2024
Modi expressed India's desire to enhance collaboration with France in the field of space, following the successful launch of a spacecraft towards the unexplored side of the moon on Friday.
France is home to the European Space Agency's primary launch facility located in French Guiana.
Furthermore, both leaders unveiled support to foster cooperation in the field of renewable energy, hydrogen ventures, artificial intelligence, and semiconductors.
According to Indian Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra, India's Tata Group and France's Airbus have signed an agreement to collaborate on the manufacturing of civilian helicopters.
In addition, CFM International, a French jet engine manufacturer, has agreed with India's Akasa Air to purchase over 300 LEAP-1B engines to power 150 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
Akasa Air had previously ordered 76 aircraft with these engines, 22 of which are currently in use.
Furthermore, India and France have agreed to strengthen their cooperation in the southwest Indian Ocean. This collaboration builds upon joint surveillance missions conducted from the French island territory of La Reunion in 2020 and 2022, as said by the government.
President Macron has also expressed France's intention to create favorable conditions to attract up to 30,000 Indian students annually for higher education.
