During French President Emmanuel Macron's official visit to India from February 17-19, 2026, India and France elevated their bilateral relationship to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" — a new, higher tier of engagement that reflects the deepening defence, technology, and economic cooperation between the two countries.
Key outcomes of the summit include the signing of a joint venture agreement between Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) and France's Safran group for co-production of HAMMER (Highly Agile Modular Munition Extended Range) air-to-ground precision missiles in India. This marks a significant milestone under the Make in India defence initiative and will enhance the Indian Air Force's precision strike capability.
Both sides launched the Joint Advanced Technology Development Group (JATDG), a bilateral mechanism to fast-track collaboration on emerging and critical technologies including semiconductors, quantum computing, artificial intelligence, and space. The year 2026 was designated as the "India-France Year of Innovation," with over 100 joint programmes planned across science, start-ups, and academia.
A Memorandum of Understanding on critical minerals was also signed, focusing on supply chain security for minerals essential to clean energy transition and defence manufacturing. Additionally, a framework for defence officer exchange was agreed upon to strengthen interoperability between the two militaries.
The elevation to "Special Global Strategic Partnership" signals France's continued support for India's permanent membership in the UN Security Council and deeper alignment on multilateral platforms including G20 and the Indo-Pacific.