India and France are long-standing strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific. Since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries in 1947, and the upgrading of the partnership to the strategic level in 1998, our two countries have consistently acted together, building on a high level of mutual trust, shared commitment to the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and common values rooted in international law.
To mark the 25th anniversary of the Indo-French partnership, both countries agree to adopt a roadmap to set the course for the bilateral relationship up to 2047, which will celebrate the centenary of India’s independence, the centenary of the diplomatic relations between the two countries and 50 years of the strategic partnership.
India and France intend to work together in the interest of international peace and stability and reaffirm their commitment to a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific and beyond. They agree to work within the framework of a partnership between equals, in consonance with their respective sovereign and strategic interests, as they have done since 1998. In order to further deepen this Strategic Partnership, and in keeping with universal values of liberty, equality, democracy and the rule of law, India and France have decided to strengthen cooperation in the sectors of the future, so as to reinforce their sovereignty and decision-making autonomy, and to respond together to the major challenges confronting our planet, including through the cooperation between India and the European Union.
I - Partnership for security and sovereignty
1) Building sovereign defence capabilities together
1.1 France is one of India’s key partners in the development of a self-reliant defence industrial and technological base. India and France are committed to cooperating in the co-development and co-production of advanced defence technologies, including for the benefit of third countries.
1.2 In line with their outstanding cooperation in military aviation spanning over five decades, India and France welcome the timely delivery of the 36 Rafale ordered by India. In the future, India and France will extend their ground-breaking defence cooperation in advanced aeronautical technologies by supporting the joint development of a combat aircraft engine. They also support industrial cooperation for motorization of heavy-lift helicopters under the Indian Multi Role Helicopter [IMRH] programme with Safran Helicopter Engine, France. To enable progress on the IMRH programme, a Shareholders’ Agreement between Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL), India and Safran Helicopter Engine, France has been concluded for engine development. These ventures are in line with the spirit of trust that prevails between India and France in the sharing and joint development of critical components and technology building blocks, based on the successful Indo-French experience in technology transfer.
1.3 India and France hail the success of the first Scorpene submarine construction programme (P75 – Kalvari), a model of Make in India and the sharing of naval expertise between companies in the two countries. India and France are ready to explore more ambitious projects to develop the Indian submarine fleet and its performance.
1.4 Other examples of this defence industrial partnership rooted in mutual trust include the contract being concluded between Safran Helicopter Engine and HAL for the Transfer of Technology of Forging and Castings for the Shakti Engine. This is also reflective of the French commitment to support technology transfer and Make in India.
1.5 Another such example is the MoU between Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers Ltd. (GRSE), and Naval Group France, a leader in European Naval Defence Industry to collaborate in the field of surface ship that caters to fulfil the requirement of India and International Naval forces.
1.6. To this end, both countries are also working towards adopting a Roadmap on Defence Industrial Cooperation.
1.7 In view of the uptick in defence industrial collaborations between the two countries, India is setting up a Technical Office of the DRDO at its Embassy in Paris.
2) Providing concrete solutions to make Indo-Pacific an area of stability and sustainable development
2.1 India and France are two Indo-Pacific nations that share a common vision on this crucial region. India and France are determined to strengthen the cooperation initiated under the Joint Strategic Vision of India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region adopted in 2018 and have therefore adopted a new Indo-Pacific Roadmap. They are committed to work together to secure their own economic and security interests; ensure equal and free access to global commons; build partnerships of prosperity and sustainability in the region thanks to common development action; advance the rule of international law; work with others in the region and beyond and build a balanced and stable order in the region, with respect for sovereignty and territorial integrity. They have decided to give utmost attention and extend their cooperation to the Pacific, with the close involvement of the French territories of New Caledonia and French Polynesia. The French overseas territories in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, will play an important role in the Indo-Pacific partnership between the two countries.
2.2 Trilateral cooperation with like-minded partners in the region will be a key pillar of cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region in particular through the dialogue launched with the United Arab Emirates, a strategic partner for both countries, on February 4th, 2023 at ministerial level, as well as with Australia, launched in September 2020.
Through a unique model of Triangular Development Cooperation, India and France will work on setting up the Indo-Pacific Triangular Cooperation (IPTDC) Fund aimed at supporting climate and SDG focused innovations and Start-ups from third countries of the Indo-Pacific, with the goal of facilitating the scaling up of green technologies being developed in the region. Both countries will jointly identify the projects to be supported through the IPTDC Fund. This initiative would be a significant step ahead in providing viable and transparent funding alternatives to innovators in the Indo-Pacific region and would also be a key pillar of the India-EU Connectivity Partnership launched in 2021.
· 3) Putting space at the heart of our strategic relationship
· 3.1 Access to space, space technologies and the development of services and applications using space data and capabilities are at the heart of our societies' innovation, scientific development and economic growth. India and France have decided to deepen their cooperation in all areas of the space sector by strengthening their programmes of common interests including:
· 3.2.1 Scientific and commercial partnership: CNES and ISRO will strengthen their partnership mainly around two structuring axes: climate and environment, with the development of the TRISHNA mission and activities within the Space Climate Observatory (SCO) on topics such as water resource management, marine resources and air quality monitoring; space exploration (Mars, Venus), maritime monitoring, launchers and manned flights in connection with India’s Gaganyaan programme. NSIL and Arianespace also plan to collaborate in commercial launch services.
· 3.2.2 Resilience of access to space: India and France will work to strengthen their synergies in terms of sovereign access to space and the development of forward-looking technologies to boost the resilience of access to space with involvement of their space industries.
· 3.2.3 India and France will also continue to engage through the recently institutionalised bilateral strategic space dialogue.
4) Adapting the fight against terrorism to the new threats to better protect our citizens
4.1 India and France have always stood together with each other in the fight against terrorism. They will strengthen cooperation on all aspects in order to stay ahead of the evolving threat. This would include operational cooperation, multilateral action, countering online radicalisation and combating financing of terrorism, particularly through the No Money for Terror (NMFT) initiative and the Christchurch Call to Action to Eliminate Terrorist and Violent Extremism Content Online.
4.2 India and France are deepening their cooperation on internal security and the fight against transnational organized crime, including human trafficking, financial crime and environmental crime. They welcome the work towards the formalisation of cooperation between the National Security Guard (NSG) of India and the Groupe d'intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale (GIGN) of France through the Letter of Intent between India and France for Cooperation in the field of Counterterrorism.
4.3 An important area of cooperation on internal security is the effective use of technology by internal security agencies of both countries.
5) Promoting a renewed and effective multilateralism
5.1 India and France reject attempts to undermine the fundamental principles of the international order and in particular the principles enshrined in the United Nations Charter and are committed to reforming global governance to reflect contemporary new realities.
5.2 India and France promote the reform of the Security Council to enlarge membership in its two categories. They support the credentials of the G4 and therefore those of India, to join the Security Council as new permanent members and support better representation from Africa including among the permanent members, and to pursue conversations on the regulation of the use of veto in case of mass atrocities.
5.3 India and France support the Paris agenda identified after the Summit for a New Global Financial Pact in order to take strong measures in favour of development and the environment.
6) Joining forces to make science, technological innovation and academic cooperation vectors of progress and independence for our countries
6.1 India and France are the central Start up and innovation ecosystems in their respective regions. Recognising the central role of technology in addressing the challenges of the 21st century, India and France agree to further deepen their cooperation to promote research partnerships and technologies, which are essential to ensure our countries’ self-reliance:
· 6.1.1 Scientific cooperation: India and France recognize the importance of reinforcing their strategic partnership in the scientific field by creating an India-France Joint Strategic Committee, which will issue calls for projects involving the French National Research Agency (ANR) on common priority themes as decided from time to time, (space, digital, critical technologies, energy, ecological and urban transition, health, for example), as well as by significant strengthening of their scientific and technological cooperation tools, in particular the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA), and the resources they devote to it in consultation with each other.
· 6.1.2 Critical technologies: Based on the Indo-French Road map on Cyber security and Digital Technology adopted in 2019, India and France are pursuing an ambitious bilateral cooperation on advanced digital technologies, particularly in the fields of supercomputing, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies, including in the framework of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPIA). They will also strengthen their cooperation on R&D, innovation and the industrial applications of critical digital technologies while also focusing on the deployment of these technologies to address issues related to climate change and health.
· 6.1.3 Health Cooperation: India and France agree to intensify their cooperation in the field of health and medicine. As a first step, they have signed a Letter of Intent for Cooperation in the field of Health and Medicine which provides the basis for cooperation in new areas including Digital Health, AI for Healthcare, Medical Waste Treatment Technology, Biotechnology, One Health approach for fight against antimicrobial resistance, exchange and training of medical doctors, among others. India and France will also collaborate on Health Emergencies Prevention, Preparedness and Response. Both countries will also strengthen their cooperation in pharmaceutical sector, human resources and skilling besides Digital Health technologies.
· 6.1.4 Indo-French Campus for Health: India and France welcome the progress on the Indo-French Campus on Health for the Indo-Pacific in 2022, open to countries of the region, in an innovative form mobilising several universities in mainland France and La Reunion Island to partner with Indian institutions. This ambitious project that puts youth, research and formation at the core of our Indo-Pacific strategy has to become a vehicle for strengthening bilateral cooperation in the field of health and a pole of attraction for universities and research at the regional level. Under the programme, four projects are being supported in creating dual Master’s degree programmes in the field of Health, of which the Sorbonne University-IIT Delhi programme already has collaborative research projects are underway notably in cancer studies, neurosciences, biotechnology, and biomedical engineering, with more to follow.
· The MoU between the Institut Pasteur and the Indian Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) signed in January 2022 has also seen good progress, with the two sides working towards the establishment of a Pasteur Centre in Hyderabad.
· 6.1.5 Cyber Cooperation: India and France reaffirmed the growing strategic importance of cyberspace in bilateral relationship and underscored the role of bilateral cyber dialogue in deepening cyber cooperation. Both countries appreciated each other’s views on the UN cyber processes that are in progress in the First and Third Committees and committed to work closely together on the matters of mutual interest. Both countries agreed to work jointly to support the discussions of the current First Committee 2021-2025 Open-ended working group, including on the possible future establishment of a Programme of action to advance responsible State behaviour in the use of ICTs. Both countries agreed to work closely with each other to elaborate a comprehensive international convention on countering the use of ICTs for criminal purposes under the aegis of UN framework to increase effective and efficient international cooperation for preventing, deterring, mitigating, investigating and prosecuting cybercrimes while ensuring speedy justice for the victims and protection of fundamental rights. India reiterated the importance of capacity building in ensuring resilience cyber infrastructure and enhancing cyber preparedness to tackle the challenges posed by emerging cyber threats in the cyberspace. Both countries agreed to exchange best practices, information, evolving national cybersecurity strategy views and developments in the cyber threat landscape.
· 6.1.6 Digital regulation: India and France encourage dialogue between French actors such as CNIL, the French data protection authority and relevant Indian counterparts. At the European level, they support close discussions with the European Union on digital regulation and data privacy. They support the objectives of the partnership on information and democracy.
· 6.1.7 Cooperation on Digital Technologies: India and France recognize the rapid advancement and transformation in digital technologies and agree to harness their respective strengths and philosophical convergence in their approaches to digitalization. Both the countries commit to further deepening their cooperation in areas like digital public infrastructure, cybersecurity, Start up, AI, supercomputing, 5G/6G telecom and digital skills development.
· In line with the Indo-French Road map on Cyber security and Digital Technology, India and France reaffirm their commitment to join forces of their cyber-security agencies and related ecosystem partners in promoting a peaceful, secure and open cyberspace.
· Recognizing the far-reaching potential of Start-ups in driving innovation, job creation, and economic growth, both countries emphasize upon their shared commitment to facilitate bilateral cooperation through enhanced connectivity between their respective Start up and entrepreneurial networks. India’s participation as the First Country of the Year at Vivatech in 2022 and subsequent participation at a significant scale this year, reflect upon India’s unique role and position in the digital age and its deep value as a partner for global leadership in the digital domain.
· India and France commit to nurturing a thriving ecosystem and building collaborations that empower their citizens and ensure their full participation in the digital century. In this spirit, last week, NPCI International Payments Limited (NIPL) and France’s Lyra Collect executed an agreement to implement Unified Payment Interface (UPI) in France and Europe. The payment mechanism is in its last phase of production and will go live by September, 2023 with the iconic Eiffel Tower, Paris as the first merchant in France to accept UPI.
· With a shared belief in the power of a Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) approach for the development of open, free, democratic and inclusive digital economies and digital societies, India and France have advanced multi-stakeholder exchanges through the InFrastructures (India France Structures) and InFinity (India France Innovation in Information Technology) platforms. We celebrate the progress that has been made through the coming together of our two digital ecosystems and recognise how these joint projects in DPI can have far reaching impact across multiple sectors. The DPI approach leverages technology, markets and governance to empower citizens, catalyse economic and social transformation, improve public service delivery and promote market competitiveness for sovereign and sustainable digital solutions, also contributing towards achieving sustainable development goals. As part of the joint DPI cooperation efforts, India and France have mutually identified potential high-impact initiatives in the areas of mobility, commerce and culture, as initial focus areas to showcase the significant benefits of interconnectedness between platforms accomplished by leveraging open protocols. Both countries welcome further such collaborations between our two countries and commit to cooperating with each other in taking this approach to other countries in the Indo-Pacific, Africa and beyond.
II - Partnership for the planet
1) Strengthening energy security to meet our climate objectives
1.1 India and France are cooperating closely on transition towards a low carbon economy, with the triple objective of meeting the growing demand for energy driven by India's urbanisation and industrialisation, increasing energy security and achieving the SDG7 and Paris Climate Agreement objectives. India and France recognise that increasing the share of clean sources in the energy mix is necessary to achieve the Paris Agreement long-term objectives. They commit to work jointly to this end, underlining the importance of simultaneously addressing energy security issues. India and France share the conviction that sustainable solutions in the fight against climate change include the use of nuclear energy.
1.2 Fight against climate change and for the protection of the environment in the Indo-Pacific: India and France will offer sustainable development solutions to the countries of the region through multilateral and third country initiatives, including the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership, International Solar Alliance and the Indo-Pacific Oceans Initiative (IPOI) to protect marine and terrestrial biodiversity. They welcome the dialogue between their development banks aimed at mobilizing players in the Indo-Pacific region in favour of sustainable development (SUFIP Initiative - Sustainable Finance in the Indo-Pacific). India and France will promote dialogue and cooperation on issues related to the blue economy, territorial resilience and climate finance. India and France will develop their cooperation in anticipating and responding to natural hazards and climate change related disasters by strengthening the links between their civil security organisations, and by sharing their knowledge, expertise and seed financing particularly within the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructures.
1.3 Electronuclear: Both sides welcomed the progress made during discussions related to the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP). They welcomed EDF’s proposal for training of civil nuclear engineers and technicians from India for deployment in projects with EPR reactors and look forward to an early conclusion of an agreement in this regard. In compliance with Skills India initiative, relevant French organizations will also work with Indian counterparts to strengthen training in nuclear field and encourage/facilitate internships for Indian students. Both countries also agreed to work on establishing a partnership on low and medium power modular reactors or Small Modular Reactors (SMR) and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMR). Our two countries will continue their cooperation on the Jules Horowitz Research Reactor (JHR) for the development of nuclear technologies and will enhance their exchanges.
1.4 Decarbonated hydrogen: Following the adoption of the Roadmap on Green Hydrogen, India and France are developing close cooperation in innovation in decarbonated hydrogen production capacities and regulatory standards. The two countries are also promoting industrial partnerships between companies from both countries to implement operational solutions.
1.5 India and France are committed to the increased development of renewable energies. On solar energy particularly, India and France rely on their close cooperation and involvement in the International Solar Alliance to support third countries in their solar programmes, particularly through the STAR-C programme and the creation of a solar academy in Senegal. through joint research and development,
1.6 On hydropower, India and France are strengthening their cooperation and supporting business projects in both countries, particularly in the renovation of existing installations, the promotion of run-of-river solutions and pumped-storage solutions.
1.7 Energy efficiency: France supports India's efforts to develop an intelligent electricity network, reduce the energy intensity of its economy and improve the energy performance of its buildings, urban, industrial and transport facilities, building on the success of the Smart Cities programmes conducted in India. Both sides agreed to explore sharing of expertise in Energy Data collection and analysis.
2) Jointly addressing the triple crises of climate change, biodiversity loss and pollution
2.1 Aware of the triple challenges of climate change, environmental pollution and loss of biodiversity, India and France are committed to strengthening their cooperation. Since the consequences of climate change also represent a real threat to public health, India and France are cooperating in the area of public health in the spirit of the One Health approach, by exploring cooperation in the PREZODE initiative, participating in the negotiations of an agreement on pandemics, and bilaterally, in the areas of hospital and pharmaceutical cooperation. As part of the Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance adopted in February 2022, collaboration on the sustainable management of fisheries resources and the agreement between IFREMER and NIOT/MoES on marine research and technologies will open up new areas of cooperation. They support the launch of a dialogue on the ocean within the G20 before the UNOC in 2025.
2.2 Climate change: India and France are committed to steadily raise their climate ambitions to achieve carbon neutrality as soon as possible and no later than 2050 and 2070 respectively.
2.3 Sustainable buildings: India and France recognise the importance of decarbonisation and resilience of buildings in the success of climate and biodiversity policies, as well as to contribute to the well-being and safety of populations. To this end, India and France are collaborating on the definition and implementation of ambitious policies and innovative means aimed at generalising the construction of new buildings and the renovation of existing buildings with near-zero emission performances and adapted to future climates, while enhancing the diversity of architecture. In this context, India and France are promoting an approach that primarily rests on frugality and resource efficiency in construction. This approach is in line with Mission LiFE or Lifestyles for Environment adopted by India and supported by France in October 2022.
2.4 Circular economy and plastic pollution: India and France are actively involved in the on-going negotiations of a new legally binding international instrument to end plastic pollution. India and France are working to involve new countries in the Indo-French commitment on the elimination of single use plastic pollution.
2.5 Biodiversity loss: India and France recognize the importance of the goals and targets, which are global in nature, of Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (KMGBF) and of their effective implementation, in accordance with the national circumstances, priorities and capabilities. India and France continue to implement the Indo-Pacific Parks Partnership (I3P). India and France welcome the adoption of the Treaty on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biodiversity in Areas beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) to address, in a coherent and cooperative manner, biological diversity loss and degradation of ecosystems of the ocean.
3) Supporting urban and ecological transitions in India as well as social inclusion
3.1 India intends to make France, through its expertise, its companies and the French Development Agency (AFD), its preferred partner in successfully achieving urban transition.
3.2 Integrated waste management: India and France are strengthening their collaboration on solutions to support cities by promoting a circular economy with a focus on integrated waste management, involving the strengthening of waste collection & transportation, waste to wealth solutions; improving liquid and solid waste management by cities. The launch of the 2nd phase of the City Investments to Innovate, Integrate and Sustain (CITIIS 2.0) programme will promote innovative solutions in this area. CITIIS 2.0 also aims at promoting Climate Governance at the State level and building capacities of municipal functionaries.
3.3 Transport & Urban Mobility: India and France are deepening their dialogue on transport, by strengthening their cooperation on the railway sector and by exploring new solutions to address mobility issues, especially in urban areas like the projects set up in Ahmedabad and Surat.
3.4 Social inclusion: India and France are keen to promote a more inclusive and environmentally-friendly development and encourage initiatives that contribute to the financial inclusion of women and vulnerable populations and promote the development of priority development areas, as in the case of projects supported by Indian funds (Annapurna, Indusind Bank, Neogrowth) and backed by Proparco.
4) Strengthening trade and facilitating investments between our two countries, with a view to sustainable growth and transition to low carbon energy
4.1 The development of more resilient value chains is a common objective between India and France for which they will facilitate by creating suitable conditions and policy exchanges on the subject.
4.2 Trade: India and France are intensifying their bilateral dialogue in order to resolve as soon as possible the difficulties encountered by Indian and French exporters and investors in their respective markets, particularly in the context of the bilateral Fast Track procedure.
4.3 Cross-investment: India and France encourage Indian and French companies to strengthen their ties and develop activities in both countries, notably with the aim of increasing the presence of French investors in India and Indian investors in France. To this end, Invest India and Business France have signed an MoU for cooperation in facilitating investors from France and India in each other’s economies.
III - Partnership for the people
1) Promoting exchanges, especially for the benefit of youth
1.1 The Partnership Agreement on Migration and Mobility, which came into force in 2021, is an important step in realising our shared commitment towards enhancing the mobility of students, graduates, academics, researchers, professionals and skilled workers. India and France support the deepening of people-to-people and economic ties through promotion of tourist flows and facilitation of the issuance of visas for the private sector and the business community. India and France, on a reciprocal basis, will grant visa exemption for short stays for official passport holders and assess the effectiveness of this exemption in 2026. Additionally, they will jointly work on initiatives that promote mutual recognition of diplomas and professional qualifications, in order to encourage skilled mobility between the two countries.
1.2 Both countries will encourage the development of partnerships between higher education institutions, research centres and private companies to strengthen cooperation in vocational and language training. They will revitalize efforts towards linguistic cooperation, encourage the development of the teaching of French language in Indian schools, promote exchanges and training of language teachers, and support visa facilitation for exchange programmes. Such efforts underline the importance they attach to teaching each other’s languages and the pivotal role languages play in promoting cross-border mobility.
1.3 Student mobility: India and France are committed to strengthen their academic ties and to foster exchanges of students. India and France will promote the development of joint training programmes, on the model of the Indo-French Campus on Health for the Indo-Pacific, as well as researchers’ mobility, particularly in priority areas of science and technology. In order to create a community of Indian Alumni, France will issue five-year validity Schengen visas for Indians who have studied in France for at least one semester, provided that they reached Master degree level at a university recognized by the French university system and have a fully acceptable file compliant with Schengen requirements.
France reaffirms its ambition to welcome 20,000 Indian students by 2025 and raise this ambition to 30,000 in 2030. In order to facilitate the achievement of these targets, France will reinforce the promotion of studies in France and increase its staff dedicated to this promotion in India. France will also create "International Classes” in French universities and other higher education institutions, where Indian students would be trained in French language and academic topics. It would allow them to then join Bachelor programmes in French language. The French government will experiment the creation of such classes while the Indian government will promote it within the secondary education system of India.
1.4 Sustainable exchanges between our civil societies: India and France will continue to strengthen the structures and mechanisms that enable exchanges between our civil societies, particularly personalities of the future programmes including the France-India Foundation and the Alliances Françaises network in India. India and France encourage youth exchanges that can take place in both countries, such as the "International solidarity volunteering and civic service” scheme to double the number of French volunteers in India and by five the number of Indian volunteers in France by 2025.
2) Promoting regular dialogue between our cultures
2.1 Our two countries now wish to establish foundational programmes for cultural exchanges and to fully exploit the potential for bringing our creative industries closer:
2.2 Cooperation in the field of museums and heritage: As nations endowed with rich culture and history, India and France will intensify their joint work to showcase their heritage and pass it on to future generations. India and France welcome the signing of the Letter of Intent for the National Museum of India project. France will offer India the benefit of its experience of major cultural projects, particularly the Grand Louvre. The retro-fitting of a Heritage Building to provision for display, storage and exhibition of archaeological antiquities, paintings, numismatics, decorative arts, etc. is exemplified by the Grand Louvre and would be an appropriate case study for the National Museum of lndia Project.
2.4 Cinema: France, the largest film market in Europe, and India, the largest film producer in the world, are supporting the export of their productions, the facilitation of co-productions under their Audio-Visual Co-production Agreement, and the promotion of their country’s attractiveness for filming.
2.5 Artistic and literary cooperation: India and France share the objective of ensuring an increased level of mobility of professionals and artists between our two countries. They intend to go beyond the mere event logic in favour of a sustainable development logic, by giving priority to long-term stays in residencies, on the model of the Villa Swagatam, inaugurated on 3 March 2023. Villa Swagatam is a network of residencies to bring the best French talents to 16 existing residencies spread across India. In doing so, France wishes to create a community of French artists and writers who will learn from India’s rich savoir-faire and history. India and France are committed to having three hundred Villa Swagatam laureates by 2035 in both countries. India’s Lalit Kala Akademi (LKA) has been helping Indian Artists participate in festivals in France and will continue this support in the interest of generating wider interest in Indian artistic traditions among the people of France.
2.6 Linguistic cooperation: India and France are committed to developing the Alliances Françaises network in India and to encouraging the development of French language teaching programmes, notably by assisting in curriculum and provision of teaching learning material as well as age-appropriate textbooks, in Indian private and government schools. They are committed to reaching a target of 50,000 students in the Alliances Françaises network in India. Further, Indian languages and ancient Indian scripts may be promoted in France in school and higher education, for which the cooperation of specialised educational and linguistic institutions from India may be taken.
2.7. France encouraged India to consider joining the Organisation internationale de la francophonie, an international organisation representing francophone countries and regions and those with strong affiliation with French culture. India welcomed the French invitation.
2.8. India and France support the values of sport and healthy life, which will be central to the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic games in Paris. To this end, both countries welcome the signing of the Letter of Intent on Cooperation in the field of Sports which will further help Indian athletes in their training and preparations for major sporting events in the future.
2.9. In order to enhance people-to-people ties between India and France and particularly serve consular requirements and strengthen commercial relations in the South of France, India will open its Consulate General in Marseille, France opened "Bureau de France” in Hyderabad.
Through this ambitious roadmap, the India-France Strategic Partnership will further diversify into new areas of cooperation while also deepening existing programmes of shared interest.
