India, France upgrade ties to ‘special global strategic partnership’

India and France on Tuesday upgraded their bilateral relations to the “special global strategic partnership”

The two governments renewed an agreement for defence cooperation and agreed to set up a joint advanced technology development group to explore opportunities to co-develop emerging and critical technologies “in identified niche areas to retain a competitive military edge, and mitigate supply chain vulnerabilities”.

India and France have been strategic partners since 1998, allowing them to cooperate in sensitive sectors such as defence, security and technology.

The decisions were announced following talks in Mumbai between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

The two leaders inaugurated a final assembly line for the H125 helicopters at Vemagal, Karnataka. The facility will be operated by Indian firm Tata Advanced Systems and French aerospace company Airbus, a joint statement between the two countries said.

New Delhi and Paris also announced a joint venture between Indian state-owned Bharat Electronics Limited and French defence and security firm Safran to produce HAMMER modular air-to-ground missiles in India, and reciprocal deployment of officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments.

The two countries also agreed to amend protocols on the double tax avoidance pact.

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