India, France to boost defence production
NEW DELHI : Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday decided to expand production of advanced defence technologies in India, including for third countries in the Indo-Pacific region and beyond. The two leaders were meeting bilaterally on the sidelines of the G20 leaders’ summit in New Delhi.
“Both leaders reiterated their commitment to strengthen the defence cooperation through partnership in design, development, testing and manufacture of advanced defence technologies and platforms, and expand production in India, including for third countries in Indo-Pacific and beyond," New Delhi said in a press release. “In this context, they also called for early finalisation of the Defence Industrial Roadmap." The decision comes amid increasing attempts by China to flex its muscle in the Indo-Pacific—an attempt that has alarmed India and several other countries.
In recent years, France has emerged as a key European partner of India—both strategic and economic. The two leaders discussed overall progress and next steps on the implementation of new and ambitious goals for cooperation in defence, space, nuclear energy, digital public infrastructure, critical technology, climate change, education, and people-to-people contacts.
Macron’s visit to India comes soon after Modi’s historic visit to Paris on 13-14 July as the guest of honour on French National Day, commemorating the 25th anniversary of the India-France strategic partnership. On Sunday called for strengthening institutional linkages in digital, science, technological innovation, education, culture, health and environment cooperation, on the model of the Indo-French Campus for the Indo-Pacific.
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