On Thursday, July 13, Prime Minister Narendra Modi embarked on a two-day visit to France at the invitation of President Emanuel Macron.
This visit is of special significance since Prime Minister Modi is the guest of honour at the prestigious “Bastille Day Parade,” which is scheduled for July 14. Every year in Paris, the Bastille Day Parade is a massive military display commemorating the historic French Revolution. It honours France’s national pride while showcasing the country’s military prowess.
An Indian tri-services contingent will take part in this year’s event in order to reinforce its significance, representing the strengthening of ties and shared ideals between India and France. India’s participation in the Bastille Day Parade, as an ascending global power, emphasises its broadening influence on the international scene and reflects the strengthening ties between the two democracies.
Taking to Twitter on Thursday, PM Modi talked about his visit to France as he looked forward to productive discussions with the French President and interaction with the Indian diaspora and prominent CEOs.
“Leaving for Paris, where I will take part in the Bastille Day celebrations. I look forward to productive discussions with President @EmmanuelMacron and other French dignitaries. Other programs include interacting with the Indian community and top CEOs,” PM Modi tweeted.
Leaving for Paris, where I will take part in the Bastille Day celebrations. I look forward to productive discussions with President @EmmanuelMacron and other French dignitaries.
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 13, 2023
Other programmes include interacting with the Indian community and top CEOs. https://t.co/jwT0CtRZyB
PM Modi referred to his UAE visit and said, “On the 15th, I will be in UAE for an official visit. I shall be holding talks with HH Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. I am confident our interactions will add strength to India-UAE friendship and benefit the people of our countries.”
25 years of India-France partnership
As this year marks the 25th anniversary of the India-France partnership PM Modi in his departure statement outlined the close cooperation between the two countries across various sectors including defense, space, civil nuclear, blue economy, trade, investment, education, culture, and people-to-people ties.
Thursday at noon, PM Modi will arrive in Paris and have his first meeting with French Prime Minister Élisabeth Borne, followed by a meeting with Gérard Larcher, President of the French Senate. On Thursday evening, he is going to engage in an interaction with members of the Indian community, which will be followed by a private dinner that the French President will host at the Elysee Palace.
India and France to take a leap in defense cooperation with the signing of Rafale Marine deal
The signing of deals totaling more than 90,000 crore, which includes the purchase of 26 Rafale M aircraft (22 single-seat versions and four double-seat trainer versions), as well as three Scorpene submarines, is one of the major highlights. These will serve to boost the Indian armed forces’ defense capabilities.
As a short-term solution, the Indian Navy has been looking into options to replace its aging MiG-29K. As a long-term solution to its need for carrier-based fighters, India continues to be working on developing its own Twin-Engine Deck-Based fighters (TEDBF). However, because it will be some time before the aircraft is developed in-house, the Navy is reportedly opting to move ahead with the acquisition to meet its aviation requirements.
Deepening cooperation in manufacturing, digital economy and clean energy
Although strategic cooperation has taken the center stage of discussion around PM Modi’s France visit, the two countries are also expected to extend cooperation in the arena of the digital economy, clean energy, and the manufacturing sector.
On July 14, 10–12 business executives from each side are scheduled to meet at the Quai d’Orsay, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, for the India–France CEOs Forum. Paul Hermelin, Chairman of information technology giant Capgemini SE, will lead the French side while Hari Bhartia, Co-Chairman of the Jubilant Bhartia Group, will co-chair the Indian side. The French government has also designated Hermilin as the administrator for business and trade with India. Around 200,000 people work for Capgemini in India, and a 6G lab will soon be developed there.
It is interesting to note that with an overall Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) contribution of $10,389 million from April 2000 to September 2022, France ranks as the 11th largest foreign investor in India, underscoring the strong economic ties between the two nations.
If things go right, the prospective launch of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI)—a digital payment technology, by PM Modi in France would be a breakthrough in the arena of digital economy.
PM Modi’s visit is also likely to focus on clean energy. Small modular reactors, batteries, and green hydrogen will be the main topics of discussion. In this context, the two parties have advanced technical discussions on the 8000-page techno-commercial offer made by France in 2019 and made significant progress on the 1650×6 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project.
During a media briefing on Wednesday (July 12), Foreign Secretary Vinay Mohan Kwatra said, “The techno-commercial arrangements of the Jaitapur cooperation project and also the engineering elements of those need to converge together for the concretization of cooperation to materialize. Now this is something on which both sides, the EDF and the relevant French authorities on their side and the Department of Atomic Energy and other agencies on our side, are very intensely engaged with each other to address all elements relating to progress in the Jaitapur project.”
The two countries will also talk about how they can work together on civil nuclear issues, space, cyber security technology, counterterrorism, climate change, renewable energy, and the global solar alliance.
The state visit of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to France will have a significant impact on the development of bilateral ties, defence capabilities, economic cooperation, and strategic ties between India, France, and the European Union. His French visit also demonstrates India’s determination to fend off China’s expanding influence.
