India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership: Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday, during a meeting in Mumbai, announced to take India-France relations forward as a “Special Global Strategic Partnership.” The two leaders also virtually inaugurated the final assembly line of the Tata-Airbus H125 light utility helicopter in Vemagal, Karnataka.
Addressing the gathering, Prime Minister Modi said that India and France will together build such a helicopter in India that will be able to fly up to the heights of Mount Everest. He said that this will be the only helicopter of its kind in the world and it will be manufactured in India and exported at the global level.
Big message to the world from Mumbai
Welcoming President Macron, the Prime Minister said that this time his visit to India is in connection with the AI Impact Summit and welcoming him at a global gateway like Mumbai is a matter of pride for India.
He recalled that last year he had attended the AI Action Summit held in France, where at Macron’s invitation he had visited Marseille. Calling Marseille a major gateway of France and entire Europe, Modi said that this is the city from where Indian soldiers had stepped into Europe during the First World War and their bravery is still remembered there.
New momentum to India-France relations
The Prime Minister said that on the basis of shared trust and vision, both countries have given a broader dimension to their relations. Calling France India’s oldest strategic partner, he said that together with President Macron this relationship has been given new depth and energy.
Referring to the launch of the “India-France Year of Innovation,” he said that now this partnership will not remain limited to governments only, but will also strengthen people-to-people contacts. Modi said that innovation does not move forward in isolation, but through cooperation, and with this thinking this initiative has been started.
Macron’s fourth official visit
President Emmanuel Macron in his address said that this is his fourth official visit to India and he expressed gratitude to the Prime Minister for the warm welcome he received.
Macron said that the bilateral relationship between India and France is based on trust, openness and ambition. He said that both countries have decided to give this relationship a new status of “Special Strategic Partnership.”
He said that in the last eight years, concrete initiatives have been taken every year in various sectors, which have opened new paths of cooperation. Referring to the Indo-Pacific region, technology and support for the rule of law, Macron said that both countries support a system where there is no kind of hegemony.
Utkarsh works as a Sub-Editor at 1Tak News. Technology and gadgets are his main beats, and he also tracks automobiles. A graduate of Mahatma Gandhi Kashi Vidyapeeth, he began his journalism career in 2023 and has built experience across digital media platforms like 1Tak. Besides technology, he also has considerable experience covering national affairs, politics, research, and international news.
