Exploring the Blue in the India-France Partnership
Introduction:
- On January 26, India and France will commemorate their 25-year strategic partnership, providing an important opportunity for both parties to look back on their interactions. Due to common objectives for peace, stability, and most importantly, strategic autonomy, the created strategic alliance, which was established in 1998, has become stronger.
The main ideas:
- There are no notable substantive differences between the two nations. France has emerged as one of India’s most significant trading partners, with annual trade reaching $12.42 billion in 2021–2022. It ranks as the 11th largest foreign investor in India with a total investment of $10.31 billion between April 2000 and June 2022, or 1.70% of all inflows of foreign direct investment into India.
Collaboration in defence:
- More importantly, it has grown to be an important defence partner for India, moving up to become the country’s second-largest defence supplier between 2017 and 2021. Due to significant defence agreements and increasing military-to-military communication, India and France now have a stronger strategic cooperation.
- Two excellent instances of this are the arrival of the French Scorpene conventional submarines, which are being constructed in India as a result of a technology transfer agreement from 2005, and the Indian Air Force’s purchase of 36 Rafale fighter jets.
- In Vadodara, Gujarat, the Tata group and Airbus have teamed up to construct the C-295 tactical transport plane. This line is expected to be expanded into the production of other commercial and military aircraft in a joint venture with France.
- The wide network of military discussions and the frequently held joint exercises Varuna (for the navy), Garuda (for the air force), and Shakti (for the army) serve to further deepen these connections (army).
A protracted history of strategic partnerships:
- As the challenges in the global geopolitical system have grown, both countries have worked to strengthen and broaden their cooperation. France was one of the first countries that India inked a civil nuclear accord with. Following the nuclear tests in 1998, Paris was also crucial in ensuring that India didn’t become overly isolated in the non-proliferation framework.
- As a sign of their expanding cooperation, France supports India’s bid for permanent membership in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and its admittance to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
- Both countries are concerned about climate change, and India backed France in the Paris Agreement as a demonstration of its unwavering dedication to limiting its impacts. As a part of the joint climate change initiatives between New Delhi and Paris, the International Solar Alliance (ISA) was founded in 2015.
Maritime ties:
- Their marine cooperation reflects the strengthening of the strategic alliance. In the Indo-Pacific and the Indian Ocean, respectively, France and India both have a permanent presence.
- The “Joint Strategic Vision of India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region,” which provided a road map for a deepening of ties, was warmly received by the leadership of both countries when French President Emmanuel Macron visited New Delhi in 2018. This trip brought home how important the Indian Ocean region is.
- Operationally, New Delhi’s determination to collaborate with friends who share its ambitions for expanding its presence there is demonstrated by the joint patrolling of French and Indian ships in the Indian Ocean. Maritime security has accelerated as both countries have stated their common desire for a free, just, and open Indo-Pacific.
- As both countries share a broad Indo-Pacific policy, India and France decided in September 2022 to create the Indo-Pacific Trilateral Development Cooperation Fund (IPTDCF), which will promote sustainable creative solutions for countries in the region (it seeks to provide comprehensive solutions for maritime security, regional cooperation, and climate change adaptation).
- The two countries have formed a trilateral grouping with the United Arab Emirates to maintain marine domain awareness and security from the east coast of Africa to the far Pacific.
A common foundation for collaboration:
- Despite having different perspectives on the Ukraine conflict, both countries have a strong understanding of one another’s points of view and are working together to solve the issue. It
- Both countries have committed to work together to avoid an Indo-Pacific imbalance. They are both concerned about China’s rise and its aggressive actions both domestically and internationally.
- Based on comparable values and goals, France and India have formed an alliance. Both have emphasised the importance of maintaining strategic independence while sharing a similar understanding of the threats from around the world across many different disciplines.
- There is constant high-level political dialogue between France and India in the fields of defence, maritime, counterterrorism, and the Indo-Pacific. They are currently cooperating in fields like digitisation, cyber, green energy, a blue economy, ocean sciences, and space.
Conclusion:
- Whether they involve China or Russia, India and France are cognizant of one another’s dependencies and interests. Due to the long-standing strategic alliance and shared goal of enhancing strategic autonomy and resilience, there is still a tonne of space for cooperation.
