The two leaders visited Marseille in Southern France where they jointly inaugurated India’s Consulate General. They engaged in discussions covering the entire gamut of their diverse strategic partnership, reviewed progress in the areas of defence, space, civil nuclear cooperation, health, as well as people-to-people cooperation. 

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 for construction of Scorpene submarines in India, including indigenisation, 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. 

Source: Businesstoday

Both sides welcomed the ongoing discussions in missiles, helicopter engines and jet engines. Prime Minister Modi also invited the French Army to take a closer look at the Pinaka MBRL, emphasising that an acquisition of this system by France would be another milestone in Indo-French defence ties. In addition, President Macron welcomed the decision to include India as an observer to the Eurodrone MALE programme managed by OCCAR, which is another step forward in the growing strength of our partnership in defence equipment programmes.

Both leaders appreciated the regular conduct of military exercises in all domains including maritime exercises and joint patrolling by maritime patrol aircraft. They noted the recent visit of the French Carrier Strike Group Charles De Gaulle to India in January 2025, followed by the Indian Navy’s participation in the French multinational exercise La Perouse, and the future conduct of the Varuna exercise in March 2025.

They welcomed the launch of FRIND-X (France-India Defence Startup Excellence) in Paris on 5-6 December 2024, in line with the vision enshrined in HORIZON 2047 and the India-France Defence Industrial Roadmap. 

The two leaders agreed to work together on implementing the initiative of the India-Middle East-Europe Corridor (IMEC), emphasising the importance of IMEC to foster connectivity, sustainable growth trajectories and access to clean energy across these regions. In this regard, they acknowledged the strategic location of Marseille in the Mediterranean Sea.

President Macron and Prime Minister Modi announced the grand inauguration of the India-France Year of Innovation in New Delhi in March 2026 to celebrate the 60th Anniversary of the signing of the first cultural agreement between India and France in 1966.