India–France Relations

India–France Defence Cooperation

France has emerged as a key strategic defence partner of India, especially in high-technology platforms, with cooperation guided by the India–France Strategic Partnership (1998).

  • India procured 36 Dassault Rafale fighter aircraft under an inter-governmental agreement (2016), significantly enhancing air superiority, precision strike, and nuclear delivery capability.
  • India approved procurement of 26 Rafale-M (marine variant) for deployment on aircraft carriers like INS Vikrant.
  • Defence cooperation includes Scorpene-class (Kalvari-class) submarines under Project-75, built at Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd with technology transfer from Naval Group (France).
  • India and France are exploring co-development of advanced defence technologies, including jet engine collaboration ....
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