India’s Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister of the Armed Forces and Veterans Affairs of France Ms Catherine Vautrin co-chaired the 6th India-France Annual Defence Dialogue in Bengaluru, Karnataka on February 17, 2026. Ms. Vautrin was presented with a Guard of Honour at Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) airport upon her arrival.
The two Ministers discussed a range of bilateral issues including security, military cooperation and priority areas for co-development and co-production of equipment. They emphasized on the need for a closer defence partnership and connecting the industries of both nations, especially in the field of niche technology.
The two Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to enhance military-to-military cooperation as a key pillar of the Strategic Partnership. Mr. Singh acclaimed that the recent India-EU Security & Defence Partnership marked a significant step in deepening the collective engagement. Both Ministers agreed to leverage this framework, both bilaterally and in the wider European context for tangible outcomes that will strengthen regional stability, enhance joint capabilities, and reinforce the enduring Indo-French strategic alignment.
Both countries announced reciprocal deployment officers at Indian Army and French Land Forces establishments. Renewal of the 10-year defence cooperation agreement was signed by India’s Defence Secretary and France’s Deputy Director General for International Relations and Strategy.
An MoU on Joint Venture was also signed for the manufacturing of Hammer missiles in India between by the CMD, Bharat Electronics Limited and Executive Vice President, Safran Electronics and Defence.
Congratulating Ms Catherine Vautrin on taking over as the French Defence Minister and welcoming her to her maiden visit to India, Shri Rajnath Singh stated that Ms Vautrin’s tenure comes at a critical moment for European and global security, and India deeply appreciates France’s steadfast commitment to strategic autonomy and a robust European defence posture. The French Defence Minister appreciated the conversion of Exercise Shakti with the Army from biennial to an annual event.
Mr. Singh underscored that India has been the ‘First Responder’ and ‘Net Security Provider’ for countries in the Indian Ocean Region and which always extends assistance to them in the defence, security and maritime domains to augment their capabilities and ward off any adversary.
On the issue of terrorism, Mr. Singh stated that Pakistan has a long history of continuously supporting, promoting, and coordinating cross-border terrorism against India, which he added created a serious threat to peace in the entire south Asian region.
India and France have maintained a robust and evolving strategic partnership for decades, deeply rooted in a shared commitment to strategic autonomy, multipolar world order, and close defence cooperation. The February 2026 event marked a new phase of further elevating the India-France relationship to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" focusing on co-designing and co-producing military platforms, advanced technology, and Indo-Pacific security.
France has been one of India's most trusted, reliable, and key defence partners, often supplying critical technology without political conditions. Earlier examples are the delivery of 36 Rafale jets, a contract for 26 Rafale-Marine fighter jets for the Indian Navy finalized in 2025-2026. The P-75 Scorpène submarine project delivered its sixth vessel in January 2025, with plans for continued collaboration. Collaboration with Safran on helicopter engines (IMRH) and the joint manufacturing of HAMMER air-to-surface missiles in India with Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) are key highlights. The Tata-Airbus H125 helicopter final assembly line was inaugurated in Karnataka in early 2026, marking a major milestone for indigenous defence manufacturing.
Both nations’ armed forces conduct regular, complex joint exercises to ensure interoperability, which are: VARUNA (Navy)- the 23rd edition held in March 2025 in the Arabian Sea; SHAKTI (Army)- 8th edition held in France in June-July 2025 and GARUDA (Air Force)- 8th edition conducted in France in November 2025.
As resident powers in the Indian Ocean (France via Reunion Island), both nations have a shared vision for a free, open, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Their partnership includes joint patrolling and sharing of maritime domain awareness, focusing on safeguarding sea lines of communication.
The 38th India-France Strategic Dialogue was held in January 2026, focusing on security, defence, and global challenges. France strongly supports India's zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, with enhanced cooperation in intelligence sharing and maritime security.
The cooperation has recently extended beyond conventional weapons to include artificial intelligence (AI), cyber security, and defence space. The two countries are forming a Joint Advanced Technology Development Group to co-develop emerging and critical technologies.
The author, a strategic affairs analyst and former spokesperson, Defence Ministry and Indian Army, can be contacted at wordsword02@gmail.com, https://www.linkedin.com/in/anil-bhat-70b94766/ and @ColAnilBhat8252, https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCPJKaZOcAt9K8fcDkb_onng
