India-France Ties: A Special Global Strategic Partnership
India and France are strategic partners whose ties rest on defence, civil-nuclear energy and space, lifted to a Special Global Strategic Partnership during President Emmanuel Macron's February 2026 visit. They are in the news because France's Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space, Philippe Baptiste, held talks in New Delhi on 28 September 2026 - with Education Minister Pralhad Joshi on branch campuses for French universities and a revised qualifications-recognition agreement, and with Dr Jitendra Singh on a new phase of space cooperation built around human spaceflight and start-ups.
- India-France
- Macron
- Special Global Strategic Partnership
- Horizon 2047
- Rafale-Marine
- AI Impact Summit
- Scorpene
- civil nuclear
- International Space Summit
- Dhruva Space
- Safran Space
- ISRO-CNES
- space surveillance
- France
- TRISHNA
- CNES
- Gaganyaan
- Year of Innovation
- Mutual Recognition of Qualifications
- branch campuses
- GIFT City
- Philippe Baptiste
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