Macron-Modi Bonhomie Drives India-France Strategic Surge

Paris: When Emmanuel Macron (48) and Narendra Modi (75) first met in 2017, few would have guessed the level of personal chemistry between the starkly different personalities; one a charismatic intellectual and the other a street-smart crowd-puller, would actually come to sculpt the relationship between France and India. When a young Macron was elected as France’s youngest President in 2017, Modi made a detour to France from his Germany trip to personally greet the then 39-year-old President. This week the two leaders will display yet again their famous show of camaraderie during Macron’s three day visit to India from 17 to 22 February. 

Since the ascension of Modi and Macron to their respective offices in 2014 and 2017, the two leaders have met each other a record number of times. While the Indian Premier has visited France eight times, six of these during Macron’s tenures, the French head of state will have visited India four times, all during the tenure of Modi.

What has perhaps defined the relationship between the two nations is the shared doctrine of strategic autonomy. In a chaotic world where both India and France have to navigate the complexities of a multi-aligning foreign policy and the endless tensions arising from the US China animosity, this shared doctrine has only served to bring the two nations closer to each other.

Cooperation in the sphere of defence is the heavyweight of the Franco-Indian partnership. With already French Dassault’s 36 Rafale jets in India’s possession, the promise of a further 114 Rafales worth 30 billion euros, will beautifully establish France as one of India’s top defence partners, as the traditional dominance of Russia gradually wanes. 

Unlike other Western capitals, Paris has never morally lectured India on how to conduct its internal policies nor has it meddled in its external affairs despite major differences on issues such as Ukraine. This has not gone unnoticed in India. Even in 1998 when New Delhi’s nuclear tests were vilified by Western powers, France was the only nation that refused to sanction India. The then French President Jacques Chirac went even 

further, conveying the message that France was ready to consider cooperation with India in the field of civilian nuclear energy.

Today, the Franco-Indian alliance extends beyond defence and covers civil nuclear energy, space, maritime security, and military exercises in the Indo-Pacific region. The French territories in the Indian Ocean are the latest additions to the expanding scope of the partnership. Both nations recognise the Indo Pacific’s strategic importance to global stability and have worked to establish a multipolar regional architecture.

Economic relations too are deepening. The current level of trade is about 15 billion euros, which is not flourishing, but full of promise for the future. Over 700 French firms have operations in India, employing more than 575,000 people. Indian firms too have made a mark in France. The conclusion of a historic free trade agreement between India and the EU will further consolidate the position of France as a gateway for Indian firms into the EU.

Technology and the new frontiers of the future are the new areas of cooperation. Artificial intelligence, critical and emerging technologies, climate action, and ocean governance have been included in the road map agreed to in 2023 to mark 25 years of strategic partnership between the two superpowers. Modi’s participation in the AI summit in Paris last year and Macron’s attendance at the AI initiatives in India this week symbolise the joint objective of not surrendering digital revolution to the Americans and the Chinese.

The symbolic significance of the Macron-Modi bonhomie is not to be underestimated. From Republic Day events in New Delhi, Bastille day events in Paris, to high-profile summits, the MM duo has turned heads with its strategic waltz that has only been gaining geopolitical speed and rhythm for almost a decade.