Modi-Macron work on opportunities for military hardware-building defence supply chains
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron have agreed to enhance India-France cooperation in defence, space and civil-nuclear sectors as well as signed a defence industrial roadmap and a defence space partnership agreement.
Foreign Secretary Vinay Kwatra briefed the media on 26 Jan on the talks held in Jaipur covering the defence industrial roadmap which will identify opportunities for co-designing, co-development and co-production of military hardware and building defence supply chains.
He said the aim is to meet the defence needs of India and France and also to contribute to the security partnership with other countries.
Kwatra said the defence space partnership agreement will enable joint work on a space situational awareness programme, which is important for developing military satellites and sharing information on space traffic and debris.
He also said that Tata Advanced Systems Ltd and Airbus Helicopters have entered into an industrial partnership for joint production of H125 helicopters in India with a significant indigenous and localisation component. Airbus will set up an assembly line in India for the helicopters.
The foreign secretary said Modi and Macron, who met on 25 Jan, also discussed various aspects of civil-nuclear energy cooperation and that there was a very positive and forward leaning conversation on small modular reactors (SMRs).
Kwatra said the civil-nuclear cooperation has several elements such as localisation, financial viability and cost effectiveness and that the discussions are ongoing.
Modi and Macron also firmed up agreements for boosting engagement in areas of healthcare, education, training, research and sustainable development. He said the year 2026 will be celebrated as India-France year of innovation.
Macron, who was the chief guest at the Republic Day celebrations at the Kartavya Path on Friday, was accompanied by a delegation of senior ministers, officials and top executives of leading French defence majors including Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury.
The area of small modular reactors (SMRs) is a relatively new domain space in terms of discussion between the two countries.
“Technology needs to come together, viability needs to come together and its positioning in the overall energy mix needs to come together. There was a very positive, forward leaning ongoing conversation between the two countries (on it),” said Kwatra.
An MoU was inked by New Space India Limited (NSIL) and French space agency Arianespace for cooperation in satellite launches.
Kwatra said the French side has always been forthcoming in supporting India’s candidacy for the membership of the International Energy Agency.
He also said that following up on a decision taken during Modi’s visit to Paris in July last year, the Indian consulate in the southern French city Marseille and the French bureau in Hyderabad are now fully ready to be operational. Fiinews.com
