Paris

India and France have traditionally enjoyed close and friendly relations and share deep and enduring Strategic Partnership (SP) covering all aspects of bilateral cooperation which involves a strategic component. Launched on 26 January 1998, India’s first-ever Strategic Partnership, embodied the core vision of both the countries to enhance their respective strategic independence by drawing upon a strong and enhanced bilateral cooperation. Defence & security, civil nuclear matters and space constitute the principal pillars of this strategic cooperation and now includes a strong Indo-Pacific component. In the recent years the partnership has broadened to include maritime security, digitalisation, cyber security and advanced computing, counter terrorism, climate change, renewable and sustainable growth and development among others.

The Indian diaspora in France is estimated to be around 5,00,000, majority being French citizens based in the French overseas territories. There are more than 50 Indian community organizations active in France. Major communities constituting the Indian origin population originate from Puducherry and Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Punjab.

France is one of the largest investors in India with FDI inflow of $659.77 million for FY 2022-23 (as of June 2023) and a cumulative FDI stock of $10.76 billion from April 2000 to September 2023. There are over 70 Indian 9 companies employing over 8000 employees in France. There are over 750 French companies invested in India employing over 450,000 people.

For the FY 2023-24 (till Aug 2023), Indian exports to France totaled $3.06 billion and imports from France totaled $2.36 billion. India’s main exports to France include engineering goods including electrical machinery and boilers, petroleum products, pharmaceutical products, electronic equipment and ready made garment and main imports from France are aviation products, machine equipment, electrical equipment and chemical products.

The year 2023 is an exceptional year with significant milestones in India-France relations. It marked 25 years of India-France Strategic Partnership. The core of the India-France long-standing partnership is underpinned by our shared democratic values, belief in multilateralism as a means to tackle global challenges, respect for international law, strong economic, cultural academic, and people-to-people ties.