By Harsh Pargat, Researcher
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in G7 Summit in France is another milestone in the pursuit of India’s attempt to become a major power. This is an effort to improve India’s relations. One of the most significant aspects of Modi’s visit is to make the partnership with France strong relations. The relationship between the two countries is based on shared interest and cooperation in several fields. India and France are finding increasing convergence in strategic outlook. One of the most significant cooperation is defense cooperation. For decades France has provided defense equipment. The Prime Ministers visit to further improve collaboration in airspace naval security advanced defense technology and military modernization. This visit can explore India’s national security goals in the era of geopolitical uncertainties.
Through economic aspect Prime Minister’s visit is crucial. India is one of the fastest developing major economy today. India is a key destination for investment, manufacturing innovation and market growth. Recently India has signed a partnership agreement with EU which is called as mother of all deals. France and other European countries want to diversify supply chains. They look towards India as an interesting choice because of vast workforce, fast developing infrastructure.
During the visit India will look forwards towards technological cooperation at the same time. To get investment in the sectors of AI, semiconductors, digital infrastructure and sophisticated manufacturing.
India and France working to increase the innovation and technology exchange, and acceleration of emerging technologies. Bharat Innovates is designed to connect participating innovators and institutions with investors, corporations, universities, research organizations, and government stakeholders for investments, technology validation, co-development opportunities, pilot projects, manufacturing partnerships, create pathways for technology transfers and absorption, market entry and international scaling of Indian innovations.
Bharat Innovates 2026 is expected to significantly deepen India’s engagement with global innovation networks and reinforce its position as a leading hub for technology-driven growth and entrepreneurship. It is being organized under the aegis of India-France Year of Innovation, which was inaugurated jointly by the Prime Minister of India and the President of France in February 2026 in Mumbai. Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi is expected to be accompanied by the Union Minister for External Affairs, Dr S Jaishankar and Union Minister for Commerce and Industry, Shri Piyush Goyal. Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, Shri Ajay Kumar Sood, who headed the Technical Oversight Committee to select the 120 start-ups from India for Bharat Innovates 2026, is also expected to be present.
India and France are two Indo-Pacific nations that share a common vision on this crucial region. India and France are determined to strengthen the cooperation initiated under the Joint Strategic Vision of India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region adopted in 2018 and have therefore adopted a new Indo-Pacific Roadmap. They are committed to work together to secure their own economic and security interests; ensure equal and free access to global commons; build partnerships of prosperity and sustainability in the region thanks to common development action; advance the rule of international law; work with others in the region and beyond and build a balanced and stable order in the region, with respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. They have decided to give utmost attention and extend their cooperation to the Pacific, with the close involvement of the French territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia. The French overseas territories in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, will play an important role in the Indo-Pacific partnership between the two countries.
Trilateral cooperation with like-minded partners in the region will be a key pillar of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region in particular through the dialogue launched with the United Arab Emirates, a strategic partner for both countries, on February 4th, 2023 at ministerial level, as well as with Australia, launched in September 2020.
Through a unique model of Triangular Development Cooperation, India and France will work on setting up the Indo-Pacific Triangular Cooperation (IPTDC) Fund aimed at supporting climate and SDG focused innovations and Start-ups from third countries of the Indo-Pacific, with the goal of facilitating the scaling up of green technologies being developed in the region. Both countries will jointly identify the projects to be supported through the IPTDC Fund. This initiative would be a significant step ahead in providing viable and transparent funding alternatives to innovators in the Indo-Pacific region and would also be a key pillar of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership launched in 2021.
India and France have always stood together with each other in the fight against terrorism. They will strengthen cooperation on all aspects in order to stay ahead of the evolving threat. This would include operational cooperation, multilateral action, countering online radicalization and combating financing of terrorism, particularly through the No Money for Terror (NMFT) initiative and the Christchurch Call to Action to Eliminate Terrorist and Violent Extremism Content Online.
India and France are deepening their cooperation on internal security and the fight against transnational organized crime, including human trafficking, financial crime and environmental crime. They welcome the work towards the formalization of cooperation between the National Security Guard (NSG) of India and the Groupe dintervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (GIGN) of France through the Letter of Intent between India and France for Cooperation in the field of Counterterrorism.
There are many challenges despite Prime Minister’s visit to France can be viewed as a diplomatic strategy. His visit will reinforce India’s strategic partnership with France it will also showcase India’s growing influence in global politics, India is no longer merely adopting to global order and actively contributing to it’s evolution.
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