13th February 2025
This joint statement encapsulates the depth and breadth of the India-France strategic partnership, covering significant achievements and new initiatives across various domains such as artificial intelligence, defense cooperation, trade, environmental issues, cultural exchanges, and people-to-people ties.
Here are some key highlights:
1. Artificial Intelligence and Technological Collaboration
- India and France co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, underlining their commitment to developing safe, ethical, and beneficial AI technologies.
- Launch of the India-France AI Roadmap and inclusion of Indian startups at Station F in Paris, furthering innovation and collaboration in AI and related fields.
2. Defense and Strategic Cooperation
- Progress in the indigenization of defense projects, including Scorpene-class submarines and discussions on missile and jet engine technologies.
- Launch of FRIND-X to foster defense innovation, including startups and academia.
- Continued military cooperation, including joint exercises and naval collaboration.
- Acknowledgment of India’s observer status in the Eurodrone MALE program.
3. Global and Regional Diplomacy
- Strengthened commitment to a free, open, and inclusive Indo-Pacific.
- Cooperation on reforming the UN Security Council, with France reiterating support for India’s permanent membership.
- Support for the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) for sustainable connectivity.
4. Nuclear Energy and Climate Cooperation
- Continued collaboration on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant and agreements on Small and Advanced Modular Reactors.
- Launch of the India-France Indo-Pacific Triangular Development Cooperation for climate and SDG-focused projects.
5. Cultural, Education, and People-to-People Exchanges
- New initiatives to increase Indian student mobility to France, targeting 30,000 students by 2030.
- Progress under the Young Professionals Scheme and agreements on vocational training.
- Launch of the India-France Year of Innovation in 2026, integrating cultural and technological exchanges.
6. Trade, Economy, and Connectivity
- Record bilateral trade levels in 2024, with further potential identified.
- Commitment to foster confidence in bilateral investments and economic collaboration.
- Emphasis on Marseille’s strategic location for connectivity between the Mediterranean and Indo-Pacific.
7. Terrorism and Security
- Reaffirmation of zero tolerance for terrorism, emphasizing counter-terrorism cooperation and disrupting terror financing.
- Coordination through multilateral platforms like FATF and NMFT.
This visit reflects the continued strengthening of the India-France partnership, rooted in shared values and a commitment to addressing global challenges. The comprehensive engagement across diverse sectors positions the relationship as a model for strategic bilateral cooperation in the 21st century.
The Text of The Joint Statement
India – France Joint Statement on the visit of Indian PM Narendra Modi to France
Date: 12 FEB 2025
At the invitation of the President of the French Republic, H.E. Mr. Emmanuel Macron, the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, paid a visit to France on 10-12 February 2025. On 10 and 11 February 2025, France and India co-chaired the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit, gathering Heads of State and Government, leaders of international organizations, small and large enterprises, representatives of academia, non-governmental organizations, artists and members of civil society, in order to build on the important milestones reached during the Bletchley Park (November 2023) and Seoul (May 2024) summits. They underlined their commitment to take concrete actions to ensure that the global AI sector can drive beneficial social, economic and environmental outcomes in the public interest. Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Macron on France’s successful organization of AI Action Summit. France welcomed India’s hosting of the next AI Summit.
This was Prime Minister Modi’s sixth visit to France, and follows President Macron’s visit to India in January 2024 as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day of India. Prime Minister Modi and President Macron held bilateral discussions on the entire gamut of the exceptionally strong and multifaceted bilateral cooperation and on global and regional matters. Both leaders also went to Marseille where President Macron hosted a private dinner for Prime Minister Modi, reflecting the excellent relationship between the two leaders. They jointly inaugurated India’s Consulate General in Marseille. They also visited the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor facility.
President Macron and Prime Minister Modi reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, outlined in the Joint Statement issued following President Macron’s State Visit to India in January 2024 and in the Horizon 2047 Roadmap published during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to France in July 2023 as the Chief Guest of the Bastille Day Celebrations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership. They commended the progress achieved in their bilateral cooperation and committed to accelerating it further across its three pillars.
The two leaders reiterated their call for reformed and effective multilateralism to sustain an equitable and peaceful international order, address pressing global challenges and prepare the world for emerging developments, including in the technological and economic domains. The two leaders stressed, in particular, the urgent need for the reform of the United Nations Security Council and agreed to coordinate closely in multilateral fora, including on UNSC matters. France reiterated its firm support for India’s permanent membership of the UNSC. The two leaders agreed to strengthen conversations on regulation of use of the veto in case of mass atrocities. They held extensive discussions on long-term global challenges and current international developments and agreed to intensify their global and regional engagement, including through multilateral initiatives and institutions.
Acknowledging the paramount importance of advancing scientific knowledge, research and innovation, and recalling the long and enduring engagement between India and France in those areas, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi announced the grand inauguration of the India-France Year of Innovation in New Delhi in March 2026 by launching its Logo.
Partnership for Security and Sovereignty
Recalling the deep and longstanding defence cooperation between France and India as part of the Strategic Partnership, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the continuation of the cooperation of air and maritime assets in line with the ambitious Defence Industrial Roadmap agreed in 2024. Both leaders commended progress in collaboration in construction of Scorpene submarines in India, including indigenization, and in particular the work carried out with a view to the integration of DRDO developed Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) into P75-Scorpene submarines and the analyses conducted regarding the possible integration of the Integrated Combat System (ICS) into the future P75-AS submarines. Both leaders welcomed the commissioning of the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene-class project, INS Vaghsheer, on 15 January 2025.Both sides welcomed the ongoing discussions in missiles, helicopter engines and jet engines. They also welcomed the excellent cooperation between the relevant entities in the Safran group and their Indian counterparts. Prime Minister Modi also invited the French Army to take a closer look at the Pinaka MBLR, emphasizing that an acquisition of this system by France would be another milestone in Indo-French defence ties. In addition, President Macron welcomed the decision to include India as an observer to the Eurodrone MALE programme managed by OCCAR, which is another step forward in the growing strength of our partnership in defence equipment programmes.
Both leaders appreciated the regular conduct of military exercises in all domains including maritime exercises and joint patrolling by maritime patrol aircraft. They noted the recent visit of the French Carrier Strike Group Charles De Gaulle to India in January 2025, followed by the Indian Navy’s participation in the French multinational exercise La Perouse, and the future conduct of the Varuna exercise in March 2025.
They welcomed the launch of FRIND-X (France-India Defence Startup Excellence) in Paris on 5-6 December 2024, involving the DGA and the Defence Innovation Agency, in line with the vision enshrined in HORIZON 2047 and the India-France Defence Industrial Roadmap. This collaborative platform brings together key stakeholders across both defence ecosystems, including defence startups, investors, incubators, accelerators, and academia, fostering a new era of defence innovation and partnership.
In order to deepen the research and development partnerships in defence, both leaders stressed on the early launch of an R&D framework through a Technical Arrangement for cooperation in defence technologies between DGA and DRDO. Inaddition, both leaders welcomed the ongoing discussions between L’Office National d’Etudes et de Recherches Aérospatiales (ONERA) and Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) to identify technologies for R&D partnerships. Further, India welcomes the participation of Indian students, alongside French students, in the challenge on distributed intelligencelaunched recently by Interdisciplinary Center for Defence and Security from the Institut Polytechnique de Parisand encourages organizing of more joint challenges in the future to evoke the interest of students in defence.
Both leaders had a detailed conversation on international issues, including on the Middle-East and the war in Ukraine. They agreed to pursue their efforts to coordinate and remain closely engaged on a regular basis.
The two leaders recalled the launch of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC) on the margins of the G20 Summit in Delhi in September 2023 and agreed to work together more closely on implementing the initiative. Both leaders stressed the importance of IMEC to foster connectivity, sustainable growth trajectories and access to clean energy across these regions. In this regard, they acknowledged the strategic location of Marseille in the Mediterranean Sea.
They underlined the key importance of strengthening EU-India relations, in view of the upcoming India-EU summit at the earliest possible in New Delhi.
They appreciated the growing cooperation in trilateral format with Australia and with the United Arab Emirates. They commended the joint military exercises that took place between France, India and the United Arab Emirates, as well as the participation of India, France and Australia in each others’ multilateral military exercises. At the invitation of the United Arab Emirates and India, France joined the Mangrove Alliance for Climate. They directed their concerned officials to work together with officials from the Governments of United Arab Emirates and Australia, towards identifying concrete projects of trilateral cooperation in the field of economy, innovation, health, renewable energy, education, culture, and the maritime domain, including under the IPOI and IORA as identified during the focal points meeting held virtually last year for both the trilateral dialogues.
The two leaders underlined their common commitment to a free, open, inclusive, secure and peaceful Indo-Pacific region.
They reiterated their desire to continue to deepen bilateral cooperation in the space sector. Taking note of the substantial contribution of the first two sessions of the India-France Strategic Space Dialogue to furthering this objective, they agreed to hold its third session in 2025. They commended the strength of the partnership between CNES and ISRO and supported the development of collaborations and synergies between their space industries.
The two leaders reaffirmed their unequivocal condemnation of terrorism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism. They called for the disruption of terrorism financing networks and safe havens. They further agreed that no country should provide safe haven to those who finance, plan, support, or commit terrorist acts. The leaders also called for concerted action against all terrorists, including through designations of individuals affiliated with groups that are listed by the UN Security Council 1267 Sanctions Committee. The two sides emphasized the importance of upholding international standards on anti-money laundering and combating the financing of terrorism, consistent with Financial Action Task Force recommendations. Both countries reiterated their commitment to work together in FATF, No Money For Terror (NMFT) and other multilateral platforms.
They commended the cooperation between the National Security Guard (NSG) of India and the Groupe d’Intervention de la Gendarmerie Nationale (GIGN) for agency-level cooperation in the field of counter-terrorism. The two leaders welcomed the outcomes of the counter-terrorism dialogue held in April 2024, reflecting the growing India – France counter-terrorism and intelligence cooperation. The two leaders also looked forward to the successful organization of Milipol 2025 in New Delhi.
They welcomed the ongoing discussions to create a comprehensive framework for an enhanced bilateral cooperation in the civil aviation sector, which are at advanced stages.
Prime Minister Modi and President Macron launched an India-France Roadmap on Artificial Intelligence (AI), rooted in the philosophical convergence in their approaches focusing on the development of safe, open, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence. They welcomed the inclusion of Indian startups at the French Startup Incubator Station F. They also welcomed the expanded possibilities for using India’s real-time payment system – Unified Payments Interface (UPI) – in France. The two leaders reiterated the strategic significance of cyberspace and their wish to strengthen their coordination at the United Nations regarding the application of international law and the implementation of the framework for responsible State behaviour in cyberspace, as well as the need to address issues arising from the proliferation of malicious cyber tools and practices. They looked forward to the next India-France Strategic Cybersecurity and Cyberdiplomacy Dialogues to be held in 2025.
Partnership for the Planet
Prime Minister Modi and President Macron stressed that nuclear energy is an essential part of the energy mix for strengthening energy security and transitioning towards a low-carbon economy. Both leaders acknowledged the India-France civil nuclear ties and efforts in cooperation on the peaceful uses of nuclear energy, notably in relation with the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant Project. They welcomed the first meeting of the Special Task Force on Civil Nuclear Energy, and welcomed the signing of a letter of intent on Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactor (AMR) and the Implementing Agreement between India’s GCNEP, DAE and France’s INSTN, CEA for cooperation in training and education of nuclear professionals.
The two leaders reaffirmed their countries’ commitment to jointly address the environmental crises and challenges including climate change and promoting sustainable lifestyles. The leaders welcomed the renewal of bilateral cooperation in the field of environment between the Ministries of Environment. Both leaders reiterated their commitment to the principles established by the Paris Pact for People and the Planet for reform of the international financing system towards supporting vulnerable countries in addressing both the eradication of poverty and the preservation of the planet. Both leaders affirmed the significance of United Nations Oceans Conference (UNOC-3) as an important milestone in international efforts towards conservation and sustainable use of oceans. In the context of upcoming UNOC-3 to be held in Nice in June 2025, France and India recognize the importance of the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity Beyond Areas of Natural Jurisdiction (BBNJ Agreement), as one of the pillars of inclusive and holistic international ocean governance. Having already signed the treaty, they called for its entry into force at the earliest. Prime Minister Modi offered India’s support to France for UNOC-3 in June 2025.
They lauded the launching of the India-France Indo-Pacific Triangular Development Cooperation, aiming to support climate- and SDG-focused projects from third countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders welcome the partnership between Proparco and the concerned Indian microfinance institutions for an equity agreement of 13 million Euros in the areas of financial inclusion and women empowerment. They also commended the strong and fruitful cooperation within the framework of the Franco Indian presidency of the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure and the International Solar Alliance.
Noting the record level of bilateral trade in 2024, they acknowledged that there is vast untapped potential for trade and investment between the two countries. Both leaders highlighted the need to maintain strong confidence for companies investing in France and in India. They commended the numerous economic cooperation projects announced in 2024 in the field of urban development. They recalled the participation of India as guest of honor of the 7th Choose France Summit in Versailles in May 2024. The two leaders were delighted with the organization of the bilateral CEOs Forum in November 2024 and February 2025.
The two leaders expressed their satisfaction with the unprecedented momentum initiated for cooperation between the two Ministries of Health, with the first mission in Paris of India’s Ministry for Health and Family Welfare last January. Digital health, anti-microbial resistance and exchange of health professionals have been identified as the main priorities for bilateral cooperation in 2025. The two leaders welcomed the signature of a Letter of Intent between PariSante Campus and the C-CAMP (Centre for Molecular Platforms), and the creation of the Indo-French Life Sciences Sister Innovation Hub.
Partnership for the People
Recalling the ambition underpinning the Letter of Intent signed on the occasion of Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France in July 2023, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the signature of the Agreement between the National Museum in Delhi and France Muséums Développement in December 2024. This agreement paves the way for further collaboration as well as broader museum cooperation including training of Indian professionals. France offered to continue consultations on its participation in the development of the National Maritime Heritage Complex.
To celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the first cultural agreement between India and France in 1966, both sides agreed to undertake multiple cultural exchanges and programs in the context of the Year of Innovation 2026 which is a cross-sectoral initiative that includes culture.
Prime Minister Modi congratulated President Macron on the successful organization of the Paris Olympics and Paralympics 2024 and thanked President Macron’s willingness to share France’s experience and expertise regarding the organization and securing of major international sporting events in the context of India’s bid to host the Olympics and Paralympics Games in 2036.
Both Leaders welcomed the launch of a regional edition of the Raisina Dialogue focusing on Mediterranean issues in Marseille in 2025, to foster high-level dialogue involving representatives of governments, industry leaders, experts on trade and connectivity issues and other relevant stakeholders with an aim to enhance trade and connectivity between the Mediterranean and the Indo-Pacific regions.
Both leaders welcomed the successful launch in September 2024 of the International Classes Scheme under which Indian students are taught French as a foreign language, and methodology and academic contents in highly reputed French universities in France during one academic year, before entering their chosen curricula in France. It will create conducive conditions to increase student mobility and meet the target of 30,000 Indian students in France by 2030. In that regard, they welcomed the rising number of Indian students in France, with 2025 figures expected to reach an unprecedented 10,000.
Both leaders also welcomed the operationalization of the Young Professionals Scheme (YPS) under India-France Migration and Mobility Partnership Agreement (MMPA) which will facilitate two way mobility of youth and professionals, further strengthening the bonds of friendship between people of India and France. Moreover, both leaders stressed on early conclusion of the Memorandum of Understanding to foster cooperation in the fields of skill development, vocational education and training which will create opportunities for both countries to strengthen cooperation in this field.
To foster their dynamic and comprehensive Strategic Partnership, both countries committed to constantly deepen their long-term cooperation following the ambitions expressed in the bilateral Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
