India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs from Marseille, France on February 12, 2025.
Paris: Prime Minister Narendra Modi today invited the French Army to take a closer look at the Pinaka multi-barrel rocket launcher (MBRL) – a multiple rocket launcher produced in India and developed by the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) for the Indian Army.
Modi emphasized that an acquisition of this system by France would be another milestone in Indo-French defence ties.
Recalling the deep and longstanding defence cooperation between France and India as part of the Strategic Partnership, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi welcomed the continuation of the cooperation of air and maritime assets in line with the ambitious Defence Industrial Roadmap agreed in 2024.
Both leaders commended progress in collaboration in the construction of Scorpene submarines in India, including indigenization, and in particular the work carried out with a view to the integration of DRDO-developed Air Independent Propulsion (AIP) into P75-Scorpene submarines and the analyses conducted regarding the possible integration of the Integrated Combat System (ICS) into the future P75-AS submarines. Both leaders welcomed the commissioning of the sixth and final submarine of the P75 Scorpene-class project, INS Vaghsheer, on 15 January 2025. Both sides welcomed the ongoing discussions on missiles, helicopter engines and jet engines.
List of Outcomes: Visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France
President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi reaffirmed their shared vision for bilateral cooperation and international partnership, outlined in the Joint Statement issued following President Macron’s State Visit to India in January 2024 and in the Horizon 2047 Roadmap published during the visit of Prime Minister Modi to France in July 2023 as the Chief Guest of the Bastille Day Celebrations on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the Strategic Partnership. They commended the progress achieved in their bilateral cooperation and committed to accelerating it further across its three pillars.
The two leaders reiterated their call for reformed and effective multilateralism to sustain an equitable and peaceful international order, address pressing global challenges and prepare the world for emerging developments, including in the technological and economic domains.
The two leaders stressed, in particular, the urgent need for the reform of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) and agreed to coordinate closely in multilateral fora, including on UNSC matters. France reiterated its firm support for India’s permanent membership of the UNSC. Both leaders agreed to strengthen conversations on the regulation of the use of the veto in case of mass atrocities. They held extensive discussions on long-term global challenges and current international developments and agreed to intensify their global and regional engagement, including through multilateral initiatives and institutions.
Acknowledging the paramount importance of advancing scientific knowledge, research and innovation, and recalling the long and enduring engagement between India and France in those areas, President Macron and Prime Minister Modi announced the grand inauguration of the India-France Year of Innovation in New Delhi in March 2026 by launching its Logo.
In addition, President Macron welcomed the decision to include India as an observer in the Eurodrone MALE programme managed by OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d’Armement / Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation which is an international organisation launched in 2016, which facilitates and manages complex, cooperative defence equipment programmes to the satisfaction of its customers). According to an India – France Joint Statement released today, this was another step forward in the growing strength of our partnership in defence equipment programmes. Eurodrone is a four-nation development programme of Germany, France, Italy and Spain, led by OCCAR, and on January 24, 2025, India officially joined the MALE RPAS (Medium-Altitude Long-Endurance Remotely Piloted Aircraft System) programme, also known as Eurodrone programme, as an Observer State, with DRDO representing India in the Eurodrone programme.
– global bihari bureau
