Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron announced an upgrade in India-France relations on February 17, elevating the bilateral partnership to a ‘Special Global Strategic Partnership’ and launching the India-France Year of Innovation aimed at deepening collaboration across technology, defence, clean energy and culture.
The announcements, made during a joint press conference, were accompanied by a list of outcomes—21 agreements and declarations spanning helicopter manufacturing, missile production, artificial intelligence in health care, critical minerals, double taxation relief and aeronautics skilling—underscoring the breadth of the alliance. “India and France share a relationship of innovation, trust and shared values,” Modi said, declaring 2026 the India-France Year of Innovation. He added that the combined creativity of both nations across all sectors will secure a prosperous global future.
The two countries also announced the establishment of an annual Foreign Ministers Dialogue to regularly review implementation of the elevated partnership and their shared Horizon 2047 Roadmap.
Modi and Macron virtually inaugurated the H125 helicopter final assembly line in Vemagal, Karnataka. Modi highlighted that India will now produce the world’s only helicopter capable of reaching Mount Everest’s altitudes, with plans to export these units globally.
The two countries also renewed their agreement on defence cooperation and formalised a joint venture between Bharat Electronics Limited and French firm Safran to produce HAMMER missiles in India. They also agreed to reciprocal deployment of officers between the Indian Army and French Land Forces and constituted a Joint Advanced Technology Development Group for critical and emerging technologies. At the launch of the India-France Year of Innovation, President Macron affirmed that France remains a “steadfast partner” in supporting India’s Make in India initiative within the defence sector.
However, he emphasised that the partnership extends beyond just defence procurement. “This is not just a series of defence contracts,” he stated. “It is a sovereign alliance—two great nations choosing each other on land, at sea and in the sky, not by default, but by conviction.” He also identified space as another key frontier where both nations are committed to deepen collaboration.
Macron also made the case for India’s centrality to global progress. “India does not just participate in global innovation—India leads it, from Silicon Valley to the Champs-Élysées, from technology to culture,” he said.
The Year of Innovation will be anchored by the newly launched India-France Innovation Network, designed to connect researchers, entrepreneurs, students and investors across both countries. “Innovation happens not in isolation, but through collaboration,” Modi said, announcing plans for joint innovation centres, stronger startup and MSME networks, and expanded student and researcher exchanges.
Meanwhile, placing the Year of Innovation as the launchpad for greater integration between the two countries, Macron outlined three core ambitions for 2026: Streamlining talent mobility, launching high-impact projects for climate, health, food security and clean mobility, and ensuring the momentum continues beyond 2026.
Further agreements between the two nations covered cooperation in critical minerals and metals, metabolic health sciences, infectious disease research, renewable energy and aeronautics skilling through a new National Centre of Excellence.
To ease economic engagement, the two countries signed an amending protocol on their Double Tax Avoidance Agreement, while T-Hub and Nord France formalised cooperation on startup ecosystems and innovation.
“We are combining France’s expertise with India’s scale,” Modi said while emphasising that the India-France partnership is a force for global stability in a world of uncertainty.
Modi highlighted that the two nations are jointly investing in human development across regions through the International Solar Alliance, the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, and other development projects.
Placing the partnership in a broader geopolitical context, Modi reaffirmed joint support for peace efforts in Ukraine, West Asia and the Indo-Pacific.
First Published: Feb 18, 2026, 10:12
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