INDIA-FRANCE RELATIONS

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Context: National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval held the 36th round of the Indo-French Strategic Dialogue with his French counterpart, Emmanuel Bonne.

 

Details:

• Bonne’s visit was the first major diplomatic visit of the New Year, and according to a statement from the Embassy of France in India, both participants agreed to intensify efforts “towards strategic autonomy”.
• The two sides held discussions on a variety of issues, including the current global security situation in the context of the conflict in Ukraine, regional security in the context of Afghanistan, counter-terrorism, cybersecurity, defence cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, besides other issues of mutual concern.
• The agenda covered all aspects of the Indo-French strategic partnership: defence and security cooperation. India is close to taking a decision on a fighter jet to fly off the Navy’s aircraft carriers, for which Boeing’s F-18 Super Hornet and Dassault Aviation’s Rafael-M are in the race.
• A decision is expected shortly for procuring 26 jets, in which Rafale has an edge.
• In addition, Safran of France is competing with other global engine manufacturers to co-develop a fighter jet engine with the Defence Research and Development Organisation.                  

Background:

• 1998: established a Strategic Partnership.
• The areas of defence & security cooperation, space cooperation and civil nuclear cooperation constitute the principal pillars of Strategic Partnership.
• India and France are increasingly engaged in new areas of cooperation such as:
  • In the Indian Ocean region,
  • Climate change.
• India and France have had regular exchange of visits at the highest level. Vice-President Venkaiah Naidu represented India at the commemorative ceremony of World War-I Armistice centenary. French President paid a State Visit to India in 2018. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had visited France in 2017. The previous French President Hollande had visited India in 2016 as the chief guest of India’s Republic Day celebrations.
• India and France share a range of regular official & institutional dialogue mechanisms encompassing areas such as security & defence, economy & trade as well as people to people-to-people, scientific and cultural domains.

Defence Cooperation:

• An annual defence dialogue at the Ministerial level.
• The three services also have regular defence exercises; viz. Exercise Shakti (Army), Exercise Varuna (Navy) and Exercise Garuda (Air Force).
• The major on-going defense-related projects are the following:
  • Purchase of Rafale aircraft.
  • P-75 Scorpene Project: The contract for six Scorpene submarines from M/s DCNS (now Naval Group) was signed in October 2006. All six vessels are to be built under technology transfer at the Mazagaon Docks Ltd. Project implementation is underway. The first submarine INS Kalvari was commissioned in December 2017 while two others are in the stages prior to their operationalization.

Space Cooperation:

• India and France have a rich history of cooperation in the field of space for over fifty years carrying on various joint research programmes and launch of satellites.
• A joint stamp was released to commemorate fifty years of bilateral space cooperation during the visit of PM Modi to France in April 2015.
• Building on the historical linkages in the arena of civilian space, a “Joint Vision for Space Cooperation” was issued.
• France continues to be a major supplier of components and equipment for the Indian space programme.

Nuclear cooperation:

• An agreement on civil nuclear cooperation was signed between India and France I 2008.
• Construction of six EPR units at Jaitapur of 1650 MWe each.

Trade and economic relations:

• France is the 11th largest foreign investor in India.
• In the period April 2020-March 2021, India-France bilateral trade stood at USD 7.86 billion. India’s exports to France were valued at USD 5.6 billion, down by 22.9%.
• Meanwhile, French exports to India decreased by 20.95% during the same period to USD 5.1 billion. Trade with France constitutes only 1.41% of India’s total international trade.
• A Joint Economic Committee exists at the level of Ministers of Commerce from both sides.

Cultural Cooperation: Indian culture enjoys wide following amongst the people of France.

Environment and Renewable Energy

• France is a founding member of the International Solar Alliance (ISA), announced by PM Modi in 2015 at UN Climate Change CoP21.
• The 3rd ISA Assembly held in October 2020 re-elected India and France as President and Co-President of the ISA.
• The countries signed an MoU on renewable energy in January 2021. The objective of the MoU is to promote bilateral cooperation in the field of new and renewable energy on the basis of mutual benefit, equality and reciprocity. It covers technologies relating to solar, wind, hydrogen and biomass energy.
• India and France also work together on climate and biodiversity. In this context, India joined the French-led initiative called the High Ambition Coalition for Nature and People, on 7 October 2021. The HAC has an objective of protecting at least 30% of the world’s lands and oceans by 2030.
• At the One Ocean Summit on 11 February 2022, Prime Minister announced India’s support to the French initiative of the High Ambition Coalition on Biodiversity Beyond National Jurisdiction (BBNJ) that calls for a legally binding BBNJ Treaty by the end of 2022. PM also expressed India’s readiness to work with France on a global initiative on combatting single-use plastic pollution.

S&T/Education Cooperation:

• In the field of S&T, the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advance Research based in New Delhi was established in 1987.
• It is estimated that there are about 7000 Indian students in France.

Indian community in France: It is estimated that the Indian community in mainland France number around 109,000.

COVID-19 Cooperation

• India and France closely cooperated at the peak of the pandemic in both countries. India supplied France with nearly 2 million hydroxychloroquine tablets and 36 MT of paracetamol (API) after having lifted export restrictions on these lifesaving drugs. France expressed its gratitude by sending 120 ventilators, 50 thousand serological tests and 50 thousand nose/throat swabs as aid. France also announced a 200 million euro loan to India to help the vulnerable sections most severely affected by the pandemic. Over 2500 Indians had been repatriated from France and a similar number of French citizens were repatriated from India to their home countries through special flights.
• In the second wave, France provided 18 oxygen plants till date to hospitals across India which will fulfill oxygen requirements for 10 years. France also supplied over 100 tonnes of Liquid Medical Oxygen to the state of Maharashtra through the French industrial gas producer Air Liquide. Besides this, P2G assistance also came in from several French companies, including Airbus.

Rafale aircraft and controversy:

• The Rafale is a four plus or fifth generation, twin-engine, canard delta wing, multirole fighter aircraft designed and built by French Dassault Aviation.
• Equipped with a wide range of weapons, the Rafale is intended to perform air supremacy, interdiction, aerial reconnaissance, ground support, in-depth strike, anti-ship strike and nuclear deterrence missions.
• The Rafale is referred to as an "omnirole" aircraft by Dassault.
• The Inter-governmental agreement for purchase of 36 Rafale jets by India in flyaway condition was signed in New Delhi on 23 September 2016.

Allegations:

• 4 PILs filed in Supreme Court.
• Government signed the contract with France at a much higher price than negotiated during the UPA rule.
• Government must reveal the price of Rafale. The government rejected the demand saying that the price disclosure is covered under the secrecy clause of the deal.
• Choice of Reliance as the offset partner.
• Process followed in finalisation of the Rafale deal. 

SC Verdict:

• There is no occasion to doubt the decision-making process in the deal.
• There is a necessity to induct fourth and fifth generation fighter aircraft and the country cannot remain without these jets.
• Not the court's job to deal with the comparative details of the pricing when the need and quality of aircraft is not in doubt.
• No substantial matter to interfere with the issue of procurement, pricing and offset partner.
• No material to show that the deal is commercial favouritism.
• No wrongdoing in the selection of Indian offset partners by Dassault Aviation.
• The decision to procure 36 or 126 fighter jets lies with government, SC can't compel the government.
• Personal perception of people on the deal matters little but the judiciary has a very constrained jurisdiction in examining defence deals of this nature especially when nation's adversaries have inducted fourth and fifth generation fighter jets compared to none by India.

Need:

• Rafale has niche stealth technology and enhanced electronic warfare capabilities.
• Sukhoi 30 is a 3.5 generation aircraft and India doesn’t have 4th or 5th generation.
• The total number of fighter aircraft squadrons in the Indian Air Force is down to 32 33. The IAF’s authorised strength is 42 squadrons, a figure it has never touched.
• The sanctioned strength for a possible two way fight - Pakistan and China combined is 45.

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