India

Political and Economic relations

Date of update: March 24th 2026 Information still valid as of today's date

Political relations

Relations between India and France were strengthened with the creation of the Strategic Partnership in 1998, which demonstrates the ties of friendship and trust between the two countries.

This partnership focuses on several areas of cooperation: civil nuclear energy, defence, counter-terrorism, space cooperation, cyber security and digital technologies.

The signing of an agreement for the supply of 36 Rafale aircraft in September 2016 and an industrial agreement in March 2018 to build six European pressurized water reactors (EPR) on the Jaitapur site are directly linked to this partnership.

Economic relations

Franco-Indian trade, which had been growing steadily, slowed considerably in 2020 in the context of the COVID-19 crisis (€9 billion as against €11.5 billion in 2019). France ranks 24th among countries supplying India, with a 1% market share, and is its 17th-largest customer. The aviation, chemical and pharmaceutical industries, along with communications equipment, represent a significant portion of French exports. France is among India’s leading foreign investors, with foreign direct investment stock of €9.8 billion at the end of 2020 (6th-largest G20 investor). Today, more than 540 subsidiaries of French companies are present there, covering a wide range of sectors and employing approximately 300,000 people.

France is cooperating with India as part of its “Smart Cities” programme. French companies in the sustainable urban development sector are already working in more than 20 cities (metro, water supply, etc.).