New Delhi, February 18. India and France have reaffirmed their commitment to expanding defence cooperation, with a renewed focus on joint development and manufacturing, at the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue held in Bengaluru on February 17.
The talks were co-chaired by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and French Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs Catherine Vautrin, who discussed a wide range of bilateral security issues and identified priority areas for co-development and co-production of military equipment. Both leaders underlined the need to strengthen industry-to-industry collaboration, particularly in niche and advanced technologies.
The ministers reiterated that closer military-to-military engagement remains a cornerstone of the India-France Strategic Partnership. They also agreed to leverage the recently concluded India-EU Security and Defence Partnership framework to achieve concrete outcomes that enhance regional stability and joint capabilities.
In a significant step, the two sides announced reciprocal deployment of officers between the Indian Army and the French Land Forces. They also signed a renewed 10-year defence cooperation agreement.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was inked between Bharat Electronics Limited and Safran Electronics & Defence to establish a joint venture for manufacturing Hammer missiles in India.
Welcoming Vautrin on her maiden visit, Singh praised France’s commitment to strategic autonomy. He also highlighted India’s role as a “first responder” and “net security provider” in the Indian Ocean Region, and raised concerns over cross-border terrorism emanating from Pakistan.
The French minister was accorded a guard of honour on arrival in India.
