It is no coincidence that Prime Minister Narendra Modi was accorded France’s most prestigious honour as a guest at the Bastille Day military parade as part of his recent visit to Paris to commemorate the 25th year of Franco-Indian strategic partnership. France has been one of India’s most steadfast allies in the Western world in trying times, such as the aftermath of the nuclear tests in 1974 and 1998. France not only stood by India but opposed sanctions by the West.

During the tensions with China in the summer of 2020, France was the first country to offer India the support of its armed forces. India’s French connection is rooted in a mutual understanding of the strategic autonomy both countries seek as also their joint quest for a multi-polar world. For decades, this mutual understanding has been borne out by cooperation in strategic sectors. Indeed, the joint statement issued after bilateral talks between the Indian PM and French President Emmanuel Macron seeks to consolidate the partnerships in key strategic realms: defence, space and nuclear energy. However, there was a surprising note in the defence subhead. While the joint statement mentioned the 36 Rafale jets that have already been delivered to the Indian Air Force and the success of the P75 programme that includes six Scorpene submarines, it failed to mention the crowning glory of the visit. This pertains to India’s plans to buy 26 Rafale Marine fighter aircraft from France to arm its indigenous aircraft carrier INS Vikrant. The joint statement did not mention the MoU inked for construction of three more Scorpene submarines in India either. The Defence Ministry had stated that the Defence Acquisition Council had granted Acceptance of Necessity for the Rafale deal as well as three Scorpene submarines ahead of Modi-Macron meet in Paris.

Another omission was that of a roadmap on the joint development of a combat aircraft engine, earlier hailed as a “ground breaking” moment in cooperation in aeronautical technologies. Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra did give an explanation. According to Kwatra, the “Horizon 2047” documents looks at the bilateral defence and security partnership “from a more holistic and comprehensive manner rather than as a set of individual transactions or procurements.” Defence deals in the past have been a subject of political controversy; with a slew of elections in store the Indian side has perhaps been wary of mentioning individual purchases.

Regardless of whether they find a mention in the joint statement, the defence agreements along with collaboration in the energy, space and environment sector, besides a roadmap for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, underline India’s importance to France. In pursuing the larger aim of restraining China, a partnership with India makes a lot of sense. The PM’s visit enhances the diversification of our defence imports and the deepening of a partnership with a crucial Western ally, furthering India’s strategic autonomy.

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