France And India Have Agreed To Establish A Dialogue And Cooperate In The Space Sector Under The ‘make In India’ Initiative

India and France have agreed to cooperate closely together under the BJP-led Centre’s ‘Make in India’ vision, intending to overcome challenges relating to space issues and strengthen connections in climate change and defense-related matters, according to news agency ANI.

The news comes four days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi finished the final leg of his three-nation European tour at Elysee Palace, the official residence of French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris.

India & France to work towards capitalising on outer space

Furthermore, sources say that during Prime Minister Modi’s recent visit to France on May 4, India and France agreed to establish a bilateral strategic discussion on space problems. Both countries with democratic forms of government have committed to continue a 60-year heritage of technical and scientific space cooperation and to rectify space-related research in order to achieve contemporary goals and overcome obstacles in space.

“It will bring together specialists from space and defence agencies, government, and the specialised ecosystem to address security and economic concerns in space, as well as space-related norms and principles, and to identify new avenues for collaboration. The two parties decided to convene the first dialogue as soon as possible this year “India and France issued a joint statement.

India & France to realise goals under ‘Make in India’ initiative

The meeting between Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron praised the continuous military collaboration across all defence domains, as well as joint exercises such as Varuna, Pegase, Shakti, Desert Knight, and Garuda, which have helped to increase integration and interoperability. Joint exercises and drills across the Indian Ocean, as well as long-standing weaponry cooperation, demonstrate both sides’ mutual trust. Despite a pandemic, both countries’ military forces are working together, as seen by the prompt delivery of 36 Rafale jets.

Furthermore, France appears to have grasped the goal of Atma Nirbhar Bharat, as both New Delhi and Paris have pushed a number of measures to collaborate with the former’s start-up ecosystem and encourage public-private collaboration. India will be the first Country of the Year at Vivatech, Europe’s largest digital expo, which will be hosted in Paris this year.