Discussions between senior Indian and French officials covered defence cooperation, intelligence sharing, training, space capacity building and greater industrial collaboration, while both sides also explored new opportunities in human spaceflight, startups and advanced space technologies.
New Delhi, Sept 2026 : India and France have discussed ways to deepen bilateral cooperation in defence and space, with a focus on intelligence sharing, military training, capacity building and greater collaboration between their defence industries and space sectors.
Air Marshal Tejinder Singh, Chief of the Integrated Defence Staff, held discussions with Lieutenant General Dominique Tardiff, Vice Chief of the French Air and Space Force. According to Headquarters Integrated Defence Staff, the meeting focused on defence cooperation, intelligence sharing, training, capacity building in the space domain and expanding defence industrial collaboration.
The discussions come against the backdrop of an expanding India-France strategic partnership, with the two countries seeking to strengthen cooperation in advanced defence technologies, military-to-military engagement and space capabilities. India and France have agreed in recent months to deepen cooperation in defence space, including areas such as space situational awareness and sovereign access to space.
The engagement also coincides with increased interaction between the two countries’ air forces. France is participating in Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026, the Indian Air Force’s multilateral air exercise being conducted from September 26 to October 12. The exercise includes France among seven participating foreign countries and is aimed at enhancing interoperability and sharing operational expertise.
Separately, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh met French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space Philippe Baptiste in New Delhi to review the expanding India-France space partnership.
Singh said bilateral space cooperation had entered a new phase, with emerging areas including human spaceflight, advanced technologies, startups and the development of a broader space ecosystem. The partnership, he said, has evolved from sounding rocket experiments in the 1960s into cooperation covering joint satellite missions, launch technologies, human spaceflight and emerging space applications.
The two countries have a long record of cooperation through the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and France’s National Centre for Space Studies (CNES). Joint missions such as Megha-Tropiques and SARAL have been important milestones in Earth observation and climate-related research.
Another major project is TRISHNA, the Indo-French thermal infrared Earth-observation satellite. ISRO said recently that work on the joint mission is progressing, with development of the satellite payload and other elements moving forward.
The French side has also been supporting India’s Gaganyaan human spaceflight programme. Cooperation has included areas related to astronaut training and other human-spaceflight requirements. India and France have additionally discussed microgravity research and human space exploration, with an India-France Letter of Intent on these areas announced earlier this year.
Singh said the transformation of India’s space sector was creating opportunities to expand cooperation beyond government agencies and established institutions. Greater participation by private companies and startups could help build a wider ecosystem connecting governments, research institutions, established industries and emerging space enterprises.
The two sides have also been discussing broader scientific and technological priorities under the India-France Year of Innovation 2026. Areas include space, the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA) and the Blue Economy.
The latest defence and space engagements reflect the broader expansion of India-France ties. In February, the two countries renewed their defence cooperation agreement for another decade and agreed to strengthen co-development and co-production of defence equipment. They also welcomed cooperation between Indian and French defence industries in advanced and niche technologies.
The partnership is therefore developing across both traditional defence cooperation and newer domains such as space security, human spaceflight, advanced technology and private-sector participation.
With India and France seeking to expand collaboration between their armed forces, space agencies, industries and startups, the latest meetings underline the growing importance of technology-driven cooperation in the broader bilateral strategic relationship.
(Disclaimer :The content of this article is sourced from a news agency and has not been edited by the Mavericknews30 team.)
