India-France

 

Snapshot

 

  • The areas of defence cooperation, space cooperation and civil nuclear cooperation constitute the three principal pillars of our Strategic Partnership.
    • Apart from these traditional fields of cooperation, India and France are increasingly engaged in new areas of cooperation like climate change, sustainable growth and development, the International Solar Alliance etc.
  • India and France support a multi-polar world order.
    • France has continued to support India’s claim for permanent membership of the Security Council and the reforms of the United Nations.
    • France has provided consistent support to India’s candidature for the membership of all the four Multilateral Export Control regimes, viz. Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR), the Wassenaar Arrangement (WA) and the Australia Group (AG)
  • India and France have consistently condemned terrorism and have resolved to work together for the adoption of the Comprehensive Convention on International Terrorism (CCIT) in the UN

 

Areas of Cooperation

    • Institutional Dialogue
      • India and France have a range of regular institutional dialogue. India-France Strategic Dialogue takes place between National Security Advisors from both sides
      • Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism, Cyber Dialogue, Track 1.5 Dialogue with the participation of the Observer Research Foundation from our side and the Strategy and Policy Planning Division of the French Ministry called CAPS and the Centre for International Studies and Research (CERI as the French acronym stands) are the other active mechanisms
      • In 2018, Both countries concluded a bilateral agreement on “Exchange and Reciprocal Protection of Classified or Protected Information”
        • They also issued a “Joint Strategic Vision of India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region” to maintain the safety of international sea lanes, for countering maritime terrorism and piracy and for building maritime domain awareness
        • India and France also signed an “Agreement for the provision of reciprocal logistics support between their Armed Forces” to extend logistical support on reciprocal access to their respective facilities for their armed forces
    • Defence Cooperation
      • Regular exchange of visits at the level of Services Chiefs takes place
      • The three services also have regular defence exercises; viz. Exercise Shakti(Army), Exercise Varuna (Navy), Exercise Garuda (Air Force)
      • Apart from service-level staff talks, the two sides have a High Committee on Defence Cooperation (HCDC) which meets annually at the level of Defence Secretary and the French Director General of the Directorate of International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS).
      • Apart from this, various staff courses, training programmes etc. also regularly take place.
      • Major on-going defence-related projects
        • Purchase of Rafale aircraft
          • India and France inked a ₹59000-crore deal for 36 Rafale jets in 2016
        • P-75 Scorpene Project
          • In 2005, a contract of strategic importance was signed between India and France for construction of six submarines through License Agreement
      • Both nations have agreed to strengthen bilateral defence and security partnership through enhanced intelligence and information sharing, operational cooperation, bolstering mutual capabilities, expanding bilateral exercises and pursuing new initiatives in maritime, space and cyber domains
    • Space Cooperation
      • India and France have a rich history of cooperation in the field of space going back to fifty years with ISRO and the French Space Agency, CNES carrying on various joint research programmes and launch of satellite
      • Building on the historical linkages in the arena of civilian space, both India and France have issued a “Joint Vision for Space Cooperation” in 2018, under which both nations will work on:
        • Bringing societal benefits of space technology
        • Imaging Earth in high resolution.
        • Space domain and situational awareness
        • Addressing the Global Challenges including climate change, where both sides will pursue their cooperation for climate monitoring on the joint missions Megha- Tropiques and Saral-Altika, the ongoing studies of the Trishna satellite for land Infrared monitoring and the Oceansat3-Argos mission
        • Exploring the solar system and beyond
        • Developing technologies for human exploration of the universe
        • Cooperation on Space Transportation Systems
      • India and France have signed an agreement for the cooperation on Gaganyaan Mission.
          • France space agency, CNES, will support scientific experiment plans and will provide French equipment, consumables, and medical instruments for Indian astronauts use.
    • Civil Nuclear Cooperation
      • France has been instrumental in India’s nuclear technology progress.
      • The French Atomic Energy Commission (CEA) offered technical cooperation to India on civil nuclear innovation in 1950, which materialised in 1951, with the two countries signing a bilateral agreement “for the research and construction of beryllium-moderated reactors”
      • Following India’s 1974 peaceful nuclear explosion, France emerged as the only western country to commend the event, pointing to it as a reflection of India’s advancement in the nuclear sector.
        • Much before the nuclear accord, France’s support to India was already seen in its continued supply of fuel to India’s Tarapur Nuclear Plant after the US and Canada terminated their agreements in protest of the 1974 peaceful nuclear explosion
        • Also, France also openly opposed US sanctions on India after the 1998 nuclear tests, and helped in creating a positive environment during India’s negotiations with the IAEA
      • Further, a landmark agreement on civil nuclear cooperation was signed between India and France in 2008
      • According to the agreement, France will construct six European Pressurised Reactors (EPR nuclear reactors) of 1,650 MW each and implement the 9,900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP) in an expedited manner
    • Economic Cooperation
      • In 2018, India and France have committed to increase bilateral trade to 15 billion euro by 2022 and “timely relaunching” of negotiations on the India-EU free trade agreement
      • Economic relations between France and India (goods exchanged amounted to €11.5 billion in 2019) are uneven, with the balance weighing heavier on India’s side
      • France ranks 25th among countries supplying India, with a 1% market share, and is its 15th-largest customer
        • The aviation, chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries represent a significant portion of French exports to India.
      • France is among India’s leading foreign investors, with foreign direct investment stock of €5.5 billion at the end of 2018 (6th-largest G20 investor).
        • Currently, France is the 9th largest FDI source for India
      • There are more than 1000 French companies, including SMEs, in India in sectors such as services, aviation, railways, cement, pharmaceuticals, defence, automobile, energy, food processing, etc.
      • Also, France is cooperating with India as part of its “Smart Cities” programme. French companies in the sustainable urban development sector are already working in more than twenty cities (metro, water supply, etc.)
    • Climate Change
      • France and India are strengthening their cooperation for the environment and the fight against climate change. The Agence Française de Développement (AFD) started working in India in 2008, and has a mandate focused on the preservation of global public goods.
      • The International Solar Alliance (ISA), jointly launched by France and India in November 2015 during COP21, promotes the development of solar energy
      • The blue economy and coastal resilience are shared priorities for France and India, which intend to strengthen cooperation in the field of marine scientific research and their mutual knowledge of the oceans
    • Cultural Cooperation
      • Indian culture enjoys wide admiration among the people of France. The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) regularly sends Indian cultural troupes to France
      • India and France organize reciprocal festivals, aiming to promote their culture: in France, the Namasté France festival showcased India in late 2016, while in India, Bonjour India was held in late 2017-early 2018.
      • India was a guest of honour at the Paris Book Fair in 2021, while France will be a guest of honour at the New Delhi World Book Fair in 2022
      • Many notable Indians have been awarded by France for their contribution in their respective fields as follows:
        • France’s highest French civilian honour comes in recognition of Shri A.S. Kiran Kumar’s invaluable contribution to the development of the India-France space cooperation.
        • Indian-origin Diagnostics company GeneStore awarded as best investment in France
        • Indian Soumitra Chatterjee has been awarded the France’s highest award for artists
    • Education
      • In the field of S&T, the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advance Research (CEFIPRA) based in New Delhi established in 1987 is playing a major role by funding joint proposals for research in sciences and evaluating existing research projects.
        • Joint Indo-French research projects funded by CEFIPRA have led to several patents.
        • CEFIPRA also awards Raman-Charpak scholarships since 2013 to Indian and French scholars.
        • Several other bilateral cooperation programmes exists including the establishment of an Indo-French Ministerial-level Joint Committee on Science and Technology
      • Around 300 MoUs have been signed between Indian and French Universities and private Institutions
      • The number of Indian students studying in France reached 10,000 in 2019 (with an objective of 20,000 by 2025), supported by scholarship programmes and partnerships between Indian and French institutions
      • The framework for bilateral educational cooperation is provided by the Educational Exchange Programme (EEP), which includes mutual recognition of degrees, bolstering the research programme and increasing student-scholar research mobility through a flexible visa regime. A Joint Working Group has also been set up under the EEP

Challenges to India-France Relations

    • Climate change
      • Thermal power is still feasible and more economical than ‘Solar Energy’ in India. Hence, the lack of driving Intent for International Solar Alliance (ISA) to make much headway in near future
    • Political Cooperation
      • France’s commitment to Belt & Road Initiative is in stark contrast to India’s stand as well; hence the strategic differences between the two nations
      • Also, the cooperation on Indo-Pacific is merely symbolic, which need further review in the comnig years
    • Nuclear Cooperation
      • Reports highlight that electricity from the Jaitapur project will be more expensive than many other sources of electricity, including solar and wind power
      • In addition to the high costs, safety problems with the reactor design and construction have emerged in several EPRs
      • These safety concerns are exacerbated by India’s flawed nuclear liability law
      • Further, Delay in the Jaitapur project is affecting future cooperation on the nuclear front.
    • Defence Cooperation related
      • Delays and controversies around Rafael deal are also affecting mutual trust between both the nations

Way forward

    • France and India can work towards building strengthened coalitions within existing multilateral systems
      • By cooperating within frameworks such as COVAX and ACT, France and India can work towards engaging with and defending the interests of Lower and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) who have been side-lined in multilateral forums addressing the current Covid-19 crisis.
    • Similarities between India and France’s definition of the Indo-Pacific strategy being one of inclusivity, sovereignty, engagement and freedom of navigation creates room for cooperation
      • By building coalitions to constrain behaviour from China and defending values of multilateralism, India and France must translate their converging views on the Indo-Pacific into action
    • The two countries must continue to work together in areas such as maritime domain awareness, terrorism, cybercrime, piracy, disaster relief and the blue economy. Engagement on a multilateral level through the QUAD, ASEM and trilateral engagements such as the India-Australia-France dialogue must also take place.
    • The rapidly developing nature of the industry calls for fast-tracked initiatives for cooperation in areas such as data protection, data localisation, investing in Indian technology and supply chain diversification.
      • In this perspective, India and France must work together on International regulations for digital data, to ensure independence from both China and the US
    • The convergence in case of Afghanistan terror issue, France emerging as a mediator between USA and Iran, India’s commitment to Digital partnerships with France under Start Up India, all indicate the growing closeness between two nations, which need to be capitalised on in the coming years
    • As with the ISA, France and India can spearhead the development of multilateral initiatives which accommodate the voices of those who are most at risk.
      • The ISA can move to provide incentives for Low Income countries, by leveraging finances to fund renewable energy projects
      • Also, India and France can work towards creating a financial mechanism within the ISA and develop action-oriented and need-based multilateral initiatives to tackle climate change

Conclusion

  • France is a crucial partner for India, and needs to play a key role in terms of India’s strategy in the Indo-Pacific, honouring climate commitments, combatting challenges to the global tech order and rebuilding resilience in multilateralism.
  • By reinforcing shared values and commitments to these challenges, the France-India partnership can be taken to a new level this decade.