India, France Boost Space Cooperation With Microsatellite, Launch & Surveillance Deals

India and France have stepped up cooperation in the space sector, with companies from the two countries signing three agreements covering satellite launches, space surveillance and microsatellite technology.

The agreements, announced at the International Space Summit in Paris, include contracts worth more than €5 million between France's Safran Space and India's Dhruva Space for technologies to be used in India's planned 52-satellite space-surveillance constellation.

The deals build on more than five decades of India-France space cooperation, centred on the partnership between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and French space agency CNES.

The first International Space Summit, held from Sep 9 to Sep 10, brought together governments, companies, space agencies and scientists. It featured 51 announcements representing about €20 billion in contracts, investments and other commitments.

Safran, Dhruva Space Sign €5 Million Deals

Safran Space signed contracts worth more than €5 million with Dhruva Space to provide communication systems, inertial navigation units, optical payloads and ground stations for India's planned SBS-III space-surveillance constellation.

The constellation is expected to deploy 52 satellites between 2027 and 2030.

The partnership is aimed at strengthening India's sovereign space capabilities and expanding cooperation between French industry and India's growing New Space sector.

The agreement also builds on Safran's involvement in India's space programme, including its contribution to the Chandrayaan-III lunar mission and the expansion of its industrial presence in India.

French Firm To Launch Two Indian Satellites

In another agreement, French launch-services provider RIDE! will launch two satellites for TakeMeToSpace, an Indian company described as the country's first designer of orbital data centres.

The deal follows several years of cooperation between RIDE! and Indian space companies, including the recent integration, launch and return of a European atmospheric re-entry capsule aboard India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV), according to announcements made at the summit.

Separately, French space company U-Space and Indian firm AXISCADES signed a commercial cooperation agreement to explore India's microsatellite market and meet growing commercial and institutional demand.

The partnership will follow a phased roadmap under India's Make in India policy, combining French space technology with India's industrial integration capabilities.

India-France Space Partnership Expands

India-France space cooperation has expanded over the years into Earth observation, space geodesy, human spaceflight, next-generation launch-vehicle technologies and planetary exploration, according to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA).

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The two countries have also established a Strategic Space Dialogue covering civil and defence space cooperation. The first dialogue was held in Paris in June 2023 and the second in New Delhi in March 2024.

ISRO and CNES have concluded agreements covering future launch-vehicle technologies, the joint TRISHNA Earth-observation mission, maritime domain awareness and space situational awareness.

Indian and French launch-service companies have also cooperated for several years. India's PSLV has commercially launched French satellites, while France's Arianespace has provided launch services for Indian geostationary satellites.

During French President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India in February, the two countries also backed cooperation in civil satellite development and human spaceflight programmes.

The latest commercial agreements expand the long-standing India-France space partnership beyond government-led programmes into private-sector technology, manufacturing and commercial space activities.