India – France Relations Relations between India and France are multi-faceted, close and special. In 1998, a ‘Strategic Partnership’ was announced and since then, relations have developed in a manner fully justifying the term ‘Strategic Partnership’. The relationship is based on shared values and real convergence on a whole range of regional and global issues.
France was the first country with which India entered into an agreement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation. France has been a steadfast proponent and supporter of India’s candidature for permanent membership of a reformed UN Security Council. Major Visits: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France, April 2015 Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, paid a successful official visit to France during 9-12 April, 2015. Apart from being PM Modi’s first bilateral visit in Europe, this was also the first full bilateral visit to France in 9 years. Prime Minister had a tete-a- tete with Francois Hollande, President of French Republic and discussed various bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest during delegation-level talks. A Joint Statement was issued on the occasion. President Hollande also extended a unique honour of inviting Prime Minister for a boat ride with him on Seine River. The Prime Minister also met Parliamentary leaders of France. Mr. Claude Bartolone, President, French National Assembly hosted a lunch in honour of the Prime Minister, after their meeting at the National Assembly, in which regional and global issues and Parliamentary exchanges between the two countries were discussed. The Prime Minister was invited by MEDEF (French Business Confederation), to address business round-tables on Infrastructure and Defence-Manufacturing. The co-Chairs of the CEOs’ Forum presented the outcome of the 7th meeting of India France CEOs Forum which was held on 09 April 2015, to Indian PM and French President at a function organised at Elysee Palace on 10 April 2015. Prime Minister also addressed a large gathering at UNESCO, Paris, after a meeting with Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO and paid his tributes to the statue of Sri Aurobindo, installed in the UNESCO premises and inaugurated a web- portal dedicated to Yoga. He also travelled to Toulouse city in Midi-Pyrenees Region of France where he visited the manufacturing unit of Airbus and CNES (French National Centre for Space Studies) where he was given an overview of Indo-French cooperation in the field of Space, spanning five decades. He also interacted with elected representatives from French Regions, including the President of Regional Council of Midi-Pyrenees. Later, he paid homage to 4,700 Indian soldiers who lost their lives on the Western Front during the First World War, at the Neuve Chappelle Memorial. He also addressed a large gathering of Indians and persons of Indian Origin in France at the Carrousel du Louvre. Nineteen Agreements/MoUs were signed during the visit encompassing diverse areas of cooperation between India and France, such as Nuclear Energy, Space, Railways, Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Science and Technology, Sports, Tourism, Human exchanges, Renewable energy and Twinning of historical monuments etc. The two leaders also unveiled an Indo-French joint stamp commemorating the Fifty years of Space cooperation between the two countries.
President Hollande’s Visit to India in February, 2013 India was the first country in Asia that President Francois Hollande chose for a bilateral visit when he paid a State visit to India on 14-15 February, 2013. He was accompanied by a 6 member Ministerial delegation as well as a large business delegation. A joint statement was issued at the conclusion of the delegation level talks. In Mumbai, he interacted with Indian business leaders. Four principal agreements signed during the visit were: (1) Cultural Exchange Programme (2) Letter of Intent on intensification of Cooperation in the fields of Education and Research (3) Statement of Intent for long-term Cooperation in Space (4) Joint Statement to follow-up and strengthen cooperation in the railway sector. In addition, there were a series of agreements signed in the Education, Science & Technology sectors. Other Visits: Shri. Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate attended the High-level Segment of the Joint 10th Conference of Parties to Vienna Convention and 26th Meeting of the Parties to Montreal Protocol from 20-21 November, 2014 in Paris. He also led the Indian Delegation at the Informal Ministerial Consultations on 20-21 July, 2015 in Paris. Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Planning and Defence and Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Minister of State for Transport visited Paris during 14-18.06.2015. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce (IC) visited Paris from 03-06 July, 2015.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius visited India on 5 February 2015 in connection with Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), New Delhi. During the visit, he called on PM and met with EAM, Minister of Railways, and Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change and discussed issues of bilateral importance. Mme. Segolene Royale, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy also attended DSDS. French Defence Minister, Mr. Jean- Yves Le Drian visited India on 24 February 2015 and met with his counterpart and NSA. Defense Minister Le Drian again visited India in the first week of May. Institutional Structure for dialogue: France and India have instituted Strategic Dialogue at the level of National Security Advisors. The latest round was held in New Delhi on 09 October 2014 which was led by NSA and Diplomatic Advisor to the French President. Earlier, the 25th round was held in Paris on 30 January, 2014. The last round of Annual Foreign Office Consultations at the level of Foreign Secretaries was held in Paris on 17 June, 2013. An Agreement on Mutual Exemption for Short Stay Visas for Diplomatic Passport Holders was signed during the visit. The 9th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism was held in Pairs on 20 June 2014. The second round of the India-France cyber dialogue was held in Paris on 17 March, 2015 in New Delhi. The first round of the Track 1.5 India-France Annual Dialogue between the Observer Research Foundation, India and the Centre for International Studies and Research (CERI, Science Po – Paris) was held in Paris on 23 May, 2013. The 16th session of the Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation, at the level of Ministers of Commerce was held on 23-25 June, 2010 in Paris. The sixth edition of the India-France CEO’s Forum was held in Paris on 8-9 July, 2013.The latest session of India-France CEO’s Forum was held on 09 April, 2015. The first Annual Economic and Financial Dialogue was held in Paris on 29th October 2013 between Ministries of Finance of India and France. Also, first meeting of Joint Working on Sustainable Urban Development was held in Paris on 20 September 2013. The 9th meeting of Joint Working Group on IT was also held in Paris during October 2013.
Bilateral Trade & Investment cooperation Trade: In 2014, the total trade in goods between France and India was € 7.87 billion, registering an increase of 11.16% from 2013. India’s exports to France were valued € 5.18 billion whereas French exports to India totalled € 2.69 billion. The year on year decline in bilateral trade between India and France seen in 2013 (when trade declined by 10.5% from 2012 figures) was reversed in 2014. In the 2014 calendar year, India-France bilateral trade increased by 11.16%, led largely by an increase in Indian exports to France which grew by 17.43% in this period. The growth in Indian exports was characterized by a 49.39% growth in export of refined petroleum products and a 28.51% growth in export of apparel and clothing material from India to France, which became India’s top two exports to France. In addition, product lines such as boilers and machinery (10.6%), organic chemicals (8.15%), electrical machinery and equipment (10.08%), marine food products (28.67%), vehicles, other than railways and parts (15.72%) and footwear (16.32%) also registered an increase in exports to France. The French imports from India, however, registered a slight decline (0.49%) in 2014. This was mostly on account of reduction in export of aircrafts to Indian companies (-8.9%). The export of optical and photographic equipment also declined (-10.89%) as did miscellaneous chemical products (- 19.04%). There was a sharp increase in export of iron and steel products, especially iron rails (51.06), mostly on account of export of Metro rails from France to India. Other products, which showed an increase in exports from France to India included organic chemicals (23%), plastics (6.5%) and boilers, machinery (5.7%). (Source: Statistics from the French Ministry of Finance and Public Accounts). Investments: France has emerged as a major source of FDI for India with about 750 big French companies already present in India. France is the 9th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 4.65 billion from April 2000 to June 2015 which represent 1.80% of the total FDI inflows into India for the period. French companies continue to look at India as an attractive investment destination in order to expand their profits and diversify risks. Indian companies have also invested in France. They continued to look for investment opportunities in France in 2014, including investments projects by Air Works Indian Engineering and Avantha Group. The Pre-Engineering Agreement has since entered into force since July, 2015. Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation: A landmark Agreement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation was signed between India and France on 30 September, 2008 during the visit of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to France. Subsequently, during the visit of President Nicolas Sarkozy to India from 4-7 December 2010, the General Framework Agreement and the Early Works Agreement between NPCIL and Areva for implementation of EPR NPP Units at Jaitapur were signed. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in April, 2015, Two MoUs were signed, one between L&T and Areva and another a Pre-Engineering Agreement between NPCIL(Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.) and Areva. Space Cooperation France and India view each other as important partners in space technology and applications. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its French counterpart, the Centre National de Etudes Spatiales (CNES) have a rich history of cooperation and collaboration spanning five decades. During the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to France in April 2015, joint stamps were released to commemorate
the completion of 50 years of Cooperation in Space. A program agreement for a reinforced cooperation in space activities was signed between the two countries during the visit. The program envisages joint development of an earth observation satellite, cooperation in inter-planetary missions and hosting of a French payload on an Indian satellite. Two other MoUs on Space, signed during the PMs Visit, include the extension of the ISRO-CNES MoU on Megha Tropiques satellite for two years and MoU between ISRO, CNES and ONERA for Ka-band propagation experiment over Indian tropical region. Towards this, the installation of the CNES instruments at Hassan (ISRO centre) has since been completed satisfactorily. ISRO and CNES had jointly developed the Satellite for ARGOS and ALTIKA (SARAL) carrying a radar altimeter and a data collection platform. The SARAL satellite was launched on-board ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in February 2013. Under a commercial Launch Service Agreement between Antrix Corporation Limited and ASTRIUM SAS, an advanced Remote Sensing satellite - SPOT-7 built by ASTRIUM SAS was successfully launched on-board PSLV from India in June 2014. Arianespace, France has been the major provider of launch services to Indian Geo- Stationary satellites. As many as 18 Indian satellites have been launched by Arianespace on a commercial basis. On 7th December 2014, India’s multi-band telecommunications satellite GSAT-16 was precisely placed into the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by the Ariane-5 launch vehicle. Recognizing the importance of space cooperation between the countries, the Indian government has felicitated Professor Jacques Blamont (French Scientist), one of the chief architects of this cooperation, with the Padma Shri Award in 2015. Defence Cooperation The defence relations between the two countries are strong and have been growing within the framework of structured talks under the Indo-French Defence Cooperation Agreement. Several meetings on industrial collaboration and service exchanges are also held regularly. The High Level Committee for Defence Cooperation (HCDC) at the level of Defence Secretaries, met in Paris on 12 January 2015. Joint service level exercises are held regularly in India and France. Joint Army exercise, ‘EX- SHAKTI was conducted in the French Alps in September 2013 while the fifth edition of the air exercise EX- GARUDA was held in Jodhpur in June 2014. The latest edition of the Indo - French naval exercise EX - VARUNA, was held off the coast of Goa in May 2015. Three Indian Naval ships made a port call at St Denis in the Reunion Islands in Oct 2014. The Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army visited France in May 2013 while the Chief of Naval Staff, French Navy visited India in November 2014 and the Chief of Army Staff, French Army visited India in March 2015
Cultural Cooperation Indian culture enjoys a wide and discerning audience among the French population, as is evident in the numerous and frequent cultural events organized all over France, spanning the entire spectrum of Indian art, music, dance, cinema and literature. The Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) for 2013-15 was signed during the visit of President Hollande to India on 14 February 2013. The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) regularly sponsors visits of Indian artists to France and also assists in exchange of students in the field of culture and arts. A significant number of Indian artists also regularly perform in France on a commercial basis or at the initiative of various local cultural associations, outside the purview of official exchanges.
A fifteen month long cultural festival- ‘Namaste France’ was held from April 2010- June 2011 showcasing the Indian culture including art, music, dance, films, cinema and literature etc. The French government has organised two editions of ‘Bonjour India’, a French cultural festival in India in 2009-10 and January- March 2013. The second edition of ‘Namaste France` festival will be organized in several cities of France in September- November 2016. During the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi to France in April 2015, both the governments agreed to cooperate on urban heritage preservation within the ambit of Joint Working Group (JWG) on urban development and also on twining of historical monuments and sites in both the countries. During this visit, the following MoUs/Letter of Intent (LoI) were also signed to promote cooperation in the area of culture and heritage between India and France: i) Arrangement for training of Indian Heritage Professionals between French and Indian Ministries of Culture, in presence of the Institut National du Patrimonie (INP) ii) Letter of Intent between Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventive of France (INRAP), France on training, exchange of best practices, and deployment of experts, especially in the area of underwater archaeology iii) MoU between the Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation (IHCNF) and Association National des Villes et Pays d’art et d’historie (ANVPAH) to undertake activities and programmes in Indian cities to address issues such as urban planning, heritage conservation, up gradation of basic services etc. iv) LoI on promoting closer cooperation between two countries in tourism sector Several Indo-French friendship associations and cultural organizations are promoting Indian languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu etc. In view of growing interest in France in Hindi, Government of India will be organizing a Regional Hindi Conference in Paris in 2016. Several cultural organizations, local artists, writers and painters are keen to understand and promote Indian culture in France. In order to realize their cultural aspirations, GOI has decided to establish an Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) in Paris and it is expected to be opened in 2016. Cooperation in the field of sports: In the field of sports, the Indian and French cooperation is enhanced by various initiatives developing the ties of friendship and solidarity between both nations. During the visit of PM Modi in 2015, both the governments signed a MoU providing for exchanges on sports medicine, training of executives, exchanges on expertise in high level sports, institutional cooperation, promotion of participation of women in sports and prevention and fight against doping in sports. Educational and Technical Cooperation The bilateral educational and S&T cooperation between India and France has grown over the last few years. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France in April 2015, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and National Architecture Institute in Paris signed a MoU and Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India and University of Strasbourg signed a Letter of Intent on Ayurveda. There are approximately 5000 Indian students in France. Necessitated by the growing number of Indian students in France, a project for construction of an annex for Maison De L’Inde, hostel for Indian students and researchers, was taken up and completed in October 2013. Under the extension project, 72 additional rooms have
been constructed adjacent to the present MDL building. There is also a vibrant school exchange progamme between the two countries with 12 Indian schools visiting France and 12 French schools visiting India, between January to August 2015 alone. In the field of S&T, the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA) based in New Delhi plays a major role in enhancement of S&T cooperation. During Prime Minister’s visit to France in April 2015, both countries agreed to establish a Joint Indo-French Science and Technology Committee. Two MoUs, one between Department of Science & Technology and CNRS, France and another between Department of Biotechnology and CNRS, France along with UPMC, a French university, were signed to take forward this cooperation. Cooperation in the field of Railways There has been longstanding cooperation in the field of railway between India and France. During the visit of President Hollande to India in February, 2013, a joint statement to strengthen the cooperation in the Railways sector between the two countries, and a Memorandum of Understanding for Technical Cooperation in the field of Railways between Indian Railways and Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF), the French National Railways were signed. On 24-25 November 2014 Minister of Railways, Shri. Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the Indo- French Rail seminar on ‘High & Semi Higher Speed, Multimodal stations, Infrastructure & Financing’ in New Delhi. A Railway Protocol was signed between Indian Railways and SNCF during PM’s visit TO France in April, 2015. Indian Community in France The Indian community, including NRIs, in mainland France is estimated to be around 106,000, largely originating from Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam, Mahe and Chandranagar. There are also large communities of PIOs in the overseas territories/departments of France including Reunion Island (about 250,000), Guadeloupe (about 57000), Martinique (about 6000) and St. Martin (about 300). Indian community organizations, which are around 50 in number, have been playing an important role in contributing towards the enhancement of closer people-to- people links
France was the first country with which India entered into an agreement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation. France has been a steadfast proponent and supporter of India’s candidature for permanent membership of a reformed UN Security Council. Major Visits: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France, April 2015 Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi, paid a successful official visit to France during 9-12 April, 2015. Apart from being PM Modi’s first bilateral visit in Europe, this was also the first full bilateral visit to France in 9 years. Prime Minister had a tete-a- tete with Francois Hollande, President of French Republic and discussed various bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest during delegation-level talks. A Joint Statement was issued on the occasion. President Hollande also extended a unique honour of inviting Prime Minister for a boat ride with him on Seine River. The Prime Minister also met Parliamentary leaders of France. Mr. Claude Bartolone, President, French National Assembly hosted a lunch in honour of the Prime Minister, after their meeting at the National Assembly, in which regional and global issues and Parliamentary exchanges between the two countries were discussed. The Prime Minister was invited by MEDEF (French Business Confederation), to address business round-tables on Infrastructure and Defence-Manufacturing. The co-Chairs of the CEOs’ Forum presented the outcome of the 7th meeting of India France CEOs Forum which was held on 09 April 2015, to Indian PM and French President at a function organised at Elysee Palace on 10 April 2015. Prime Minister also addressed a large gathering at UNESCO, Paris, after a meeting with Ms. Irina Bokova, Director General of UNESCO and paid his tributes to the statue of Sri Aurobindo, installed in the UNESCO premises and inaugurated a web- portal dedicated to Yoga. He also travelled to Toulouse city in Midi-Pyrenees Region of France where he visited the manufacturing unit of Airbus and CNES (French National Centre for Space Studies) where he was given an overview of Indo-French cooperation in the field of Space, spanning five decades. He also interacted with elected representatives from French Regions, including the President of Regional Council of Midi-Pyrenees. Later, he paid homage to 4,700 Indian soldiers who lost their lives on the Western Front during the First World War, at the Neuve Chappelle Memorial. He also addressed a large gathering of Indians and persons of Indian Origin in France at the Carrousel du Louvre. Nineteen Agreements/MoUs were signed during the visit encompassing diverse areas of cooperation between India and France, such as Nuclear Energy, Space, Railways, Conservation of Cultural Heritage, Science and Technology, Sports, Tourism, Human exchanges, Renewable energy and Twinning of historical monuments etc. The two leaders also unveiled an Indo-French joint stamp commemorating the Fifty years of Space cooperation between the two countries.
President Hollande’s Visit to India in February, 2013 India was the first country in Asia that President Francois Hollande chose for a bilateral visit when he paid a State visit to India on 14-15 February, 2013. He was accompanied by a 6 member Ministerial delegation as well as a large business delegation. A joint statement was issued at the conclusion of the delegation level talks. In Mumbai, he interacted with Indian business leaders. Four principal agreements signed during the visit were: (1) Cultural Exchange Programme (2) Letter of Intent on intensification of Cooperation in the fields of Education and Research (3) Statement of Intent for long-term Cooperation in Space (4) Joint Statement to follow-up and strengthen cooperation in the railway sector. In addition, there were a series of agreements signed in the Education, Science & Technology sectors. Other Visits: Shri. Prakash Javadekar, Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate attended the High-level Segment of the Joint 10th Conference of Parties to Vienna Convention and 26th Meeting of the Parties to Montreal Protocol from 20-21 November, 2014 in Paris. He also led the Indian Delegation at the Informal Ministerial Consultations on 20-21 July, 2015 in Paris. Shri Rao Inderjit Singh, Minister of State for Planning and Defence and Shri Ashok Gajapathi Raju, Minister of State for Transport visited Paris during 14-18.06.2015. Smt. Nirmala Sitharaman, Minister of State for Commerce (IC) visited Paris from 03-06 July, 2015.
French Foreign Minister Laurent Fabius visited India on 5 February 2015 in connection with Delhi Sustainable Development Summit (DSDS), New Delhi. During the visit, he called on PM and met with EAM, Minister of Railways, and Minister of State for Environment, Forests and Climate Change and discussed issues of bilateral importance. Mme. Segolene Royale, Minister for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Energy also attended DSDS. French Defence Minister, Mr. Jean- Yves Le Drian visited India on 24 February 2015 and met with his counterpart and NSA. Defense Minister Le Drian again visited India in the first week of May. Institutional Structure for dialogue: France and India have instituted Strategic Dialogue at the level of National Security Advisors. The latest round was held in New Delhi on 09 October 2014 which was led by NSA and Diplomatic Advisor to the French President. Earlier, the 25th round was held in Paris on 30 January, 2014. The last round of Annual Foreign Office Consultations at the level of Foreign Secretaries was held in Paris on 17 June, 2013. An Agreement on Mutual Exemption for Short Stay Visas for Diplomatic Passport Holders was signed during the visit. The 9th meeting of the Joint Working Group on Counter-terrorism was held in Pairs on 20 June 2014. The second round of the India-France cyber dialogue was held in Paris on 17 March, 2015 in New Delhi. The first round of the Track 1.5 India-France Annual Dialogue between the Observer Research Foundation, India and the Centre for International Studies and Research (CERI, Science Po – Paris) was held in Paris on 23 May, 2013. The 16th session of the Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation, at the level of Ministers of Commerce was held on 23-25 June, 2010 in Paris. The sixth edition of the India-France CEO’s Forum was held in Paris on 8-9 July, 2013.The latest session of India-France CEO’s Forum was held on 09 April, 2015. The first Annual Economic and Financial Dialogue was held in Paris on 29th October 2013 between Ministries of Finance of India and France. Also, first meeting of Joint Working on Sustainable Urban Development was held in Paris on 20 September 2013. The 9th meeting of Joint Working Group on IT was also held in Paris during October 2013.
Bilateral Trade & Investment cooperation Trade: In 2014, the total trade in goods between France and India was € 7.87 billion, registering an increase of 11.16% from 2013. India’s exports to France were valued € 5.18 billion whereas French exports to India totalled € 2.69 billion. The year on year decline in bilateral trade between India and France seen in 2013 (when trade declined by 10.5% from 2012 figures) was reversed in 2014. In the 2014 calendar year, India-France bilateral trade increased by 11.16%, led largely by an increase in Indian exports to France which grew by 17.43% in this period. The growth in Indian exports was characterized by a 49.39% growth in export of refined petroleum products and a 28.51% growth in export of apparel and clothing material from India to France, which became India’s top two exports to France. In addition, product lines such as boilers and machinery (10.6%), organic chemicals (8.15%), electrical machinery and equipment (10.08%), marine food products (28.67%), vehicles, other than railways and parts (15.72%) and footwear (16.32%) also registered an increase in exports to France. The French imports from India, however, registered a slight decline (0.49%) in 2014. This was mostly on account of reduction in export of aircrafts to Indian companies (-8.9%). The export of optical and photographic equipment also declined (-10.89%) as did miscellaneous chemical products (- 19.04%). There was a sharp increase in export of iron and steel products, especially iron rails (51.06), mostly on account of export of Metro rails from France to India. Other products, which showed an increase in exports from France to India included organic chemicals (23%), plastics (6.5%) and boilers, machinery (5.7%). (Source: Statistics from the French Ministry of Finance and Public Accounts). Investments: France has emerged as a major source of FDI for India with about 750 big French companies already present in India. France is the 9th largest foreign investor in India with a cumulative investment of USD 4.65 billion from April 2000 to June 2015 which represent 1.80% of the total FDI inflows into India for the period. French companies continue to look at India as an attractive investment destination in order to expand their profits and diversify risks. Indian companies have also invested in France. They continued to look for investment opportunities in France in 2014, including investments projects by Air Works Indian Engineering and Avantha Group. The Pre-Engineering Agreement has since entered into force since July, 2015. Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation: A landmark Agreement on Civil Nuclear Cooperation was signed between India and France on 30 September, 2008 during the visit of Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh to France. Subsequently, during the visit of President Nicolas Sarkozy to India from 4-7 December 2010, the General Framework Agreement and the Early Works Agreement between NPCIL and Areva for implementation of EPR NPP Units at Jaitapur were signed. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit in April, 2015, Two MoUs were signed, one between L&T and Areva and another a Pre-Engineering Agreement between NPCIL(Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.) and Areva. Space Cooperation France and India view each other as important partners in space technology and applications. The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its French counterpart, the Centre National de Etudes Spatiales (CNES) have a rich history of cooperation and collaboration spanning five decades. During the visit of the Indian Prime Minister to France in April 2015, joint stamps were released to commemorate
the completion of 50 years of Cooperation in Space. A program agreement for a reinforced cooperation in space activities was signed between the two countries during the visit. The program envisages joint development of an earth observation satellite, cooperation in inter-planetary missions and hosting of a French payload on an Indian satellite. Two other MoUs on Space, signed during the PMs Visit, include the extension of the ISRO-CNES MoU on Megha Tropiques satellite for two years and MoU between ISRO, CNES and ONERA for Ka-band propagation experiment over Indian tropical region. Towards this, the installation of the CNES instruments at Hassan (ISRO centre) has since been completed satisfactorily. ISRO and CNES had jointly developed the Satellite for ARGOS and ALTIKA (SARAL) carrying a radar altimeter and a data collection platform. The SARAL satellite was launched on-board ISRO's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV) in February 2013. Under a commercial Launch Service Agreement between Antrix Corporation Limited and ASTRIUM SAS, an advanced Remote Sensing satellite - SPOT-7 built by ASTRIUM SAS was successfully launched on-board PSLV from India in June 2014. Arianespace, France has been the major provider of launch services to Indian Geo- Stationary satellites. As many as 18 Indian satellites have been launched by Arianespace on a commercial basis. On 7th December 2014, India’s multi-band telecommunications satellite GSAT-16 was precisely placed into the intended Geosynchronous Transfer Orbit by the Ariane-5 launch vehicle. Recognizing the importance of space cooperation between the countries, the Indian government has felicitated Professor Jacques Blamont (French Scientist), one of the chief architects of this cooperation, with the Padma Shri Award in 2015. Defence Cooperation The defence relations between the two countries are strong and have been growing within the framework of structured talks under the Indo-French Defence Cooperation Agreement. Several meetings on industrial collaboration and service exchanges are also held regularly. The High Level Committee for Defence Cooperation (HCDC) at the level of Defence Secretaries, met in Paris on 12 January 2015. Joint service level exercises are held regularly in India and France. Joint Army exercise, ‘EX- SHAKTI was conducted in the French Alps in September 2013 while the fifth edition of the air exercise EX- GARUDA was held in Jodhpur in June 2014. The latest edition of the Indo - French naval exercise EX - VARUNA, was held off the coast of Goa in May 2015. Three Indian Naval ships made a port call at St Denis in the Reunion Islands in Oct 2014. The Chief of Army Staff, Indian Army visited France in May 2013 while the Chief of Naval Staff, French Navy visited India in November 2014 and the Chief of Army Staff, French Army visited India in March 2015
Cultural Cooperation Indian culture enjoys a wide and discerning audience among the French population, as is evident in the numerous and frequent cultural events organized all over France, spanning the entire spectrum of Indian art, music, dance, cinema and literature. The Cultural Exchange Programme (CEP) for 2013-15 was signed during the visit of President Hollande to India on 14 February 2013. The Indian Council of Cultural Relations (ICCR) regularly sponsors visits of Indian artists to France and also assists in exchange of students in the field of culture and arts. A significant number of Indian artists also regularly perform in France on a commercial basis or at the initiative of various local cultural associations, outside the purview of official exchanges.
A fifteen month long cultural festival- ‘Namaste France’ was held from April 2010- June 2011 showcasing the Indian culture including art, music, dance, films, cinema and literature etc. The French government has organised two editions of ‘Bonjour India’, a French cultural festival in India in 2009-10 and January- March 2013. The second edition of ‘Namaste France` festival will be organized in several cities of France in September- November 2016. During the visit of Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi to France in April 2015, both the governments agreed to cooperate on urban heritage preservation within the ambit of Joint Working Group (JWG) on urban development and also on twining of historical monuments and sites in both the countries. During this visit, the following MoUs/Letter of Intent (LoI) were also signed to promote cooperation in the area of culture and heritage between India and France: i) Arrangement for training of Indian Heritage Professionals between French and Indian Ministries of Culture, in presence of the Institut National du Patrimonie (INP) ii) Letter of Intent between Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) and Institut National de Recherches Archéologiques Préventive of France (INRAP), France on training, exchange of best practices, and deployment of experts, especially in the area of underwater archaeology iii) MoU between the Indian Heritage Cities Network Foundation (IHCNF) and Association National des Villes et Pays d’art et d’historie (ANVPAH) to undertake activities and programmes in Indian cities to address issues such as urban planning, heritage conservation, up gradation of basic services etc. iv) LoI on promoting closer cooperation between two countries in tourism sector Several Indo-French friendship associations and cultural organizations are promoting Indian languages like Sanskrit, Hindi, Tamil and Telugu etc. In view of growing interest in France in Hindi, Government of India will be organizing a Regional Hindi Conference in Paris in 2016. Several cultural organizations, local artists, writers and painters are keen to understand and promote Indian culture in France. In order to realize their cultural aspirations, GOI has decided to establish an Indian Cultural Centre (ICC) in Paris and it is expected to be opened in 2016. Cooperation in the field of sports: In the field of sports, the Indian and French cooperation is enhanced by various initiatives developing the ties of friendship and solidarity between both nations. During the visit of PM Modi in 2015, both the governments signed a MoU providing for exchanges on sports medicine, training of executives, exchanges on expertise in high level sports, institutional cooperation, promotion of participation of women in sports and prevention and fight against doping in sports. Educational and Technical Cooperation The bilateral educational and S&T cooperation between India and France has grown over the last few years. During Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France in April 2015, School of Planning and Architecture, Delhi and National Architecture Institute in Paris signed a MoU and Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India and University of Strasbourg signed a Letter of Intent on Ayurveda. There are approximately 5000 Indian students in France. Necessitated by the growing number of Indian students in France, a project for construction of an annex for Maison De L’Inde, hostel for Indian students and researchers, was taken up and completed in October 2013. Under the extension project, 72 additional rooms have
been constructed adjacent to the present MDL building. There is also a vibrant school exchange progamme between the two countries with 12 Indian schools visiting France and 12 French schools visiting India, between January to August 2015 alone. In the field of S&T, the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA) based in New Delhi plays a major role in enhancement of S&T cooperation. During Prime Minister’s visit to France in April 2015, both countries agreed to establish a Joint Indo-French Science and Technology Committee. Two MoUs, one between Department of Science & Technology and CNRS, France and another between Department of Biotechnology and CNRS, France along with UPMC, a French university, were signed to take forward this cooperation. Cooperation in the field of Railways There has been longstanding cooperation in the field of railway between India and France. During the visit of President Hollande to India in February, 2013, a joint statement to strengthen the cooperation in the Railways sector between the two countries, and a Memorandum of Understanding for Technical Cooperation in the field of Railways between Indian Railways and Société Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français (SNCF), the French National Railways were signed. On 24-25 November 2014 Minister of Railways, Shri. Suresh Prabhu inaugurated the Indo- French Rail seminar on ‘High & Semi Higher Speed, Multimodal stations, Infrastructure & Financing’ in New Delhi. A Railway Protocol was signed between Indian Railways and SNCF during PM’s visit TO France in April, 2015. Indian Community in France The Indian community, including NRIs, in mainland France is estimated to be around 106,000, largely originating from Puducherry, Karaikal, Yanam, Mahe and Chandranagar. There are also large communities of PIOs in the overseas territories/departments of France including Reunion Island (about 250,000), Guadeloupe (about 57000), Martinique (about 6000) and St. Martin (about 300). Indian community organizations, which are around 50 in number, have been playing an important role in contributing towards the enhancement of closer people-to- people links
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