India and France Forge New Defence R&D Agreement to Accelerate Joint Innovation

India and France have stepped up their strategic defence partnership by signing a pivotal technical agreement aimed at strengthening defence research and development cooperation. The pact, formalized at DRDO’s headquarters in New Delhi, brings together India’s Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO) and France’s Directorate General of Armaments (DGA).

Under the newly signed framework, both nations will pool their scientific, technological, and industrial resources to co-develop solutions for next-generation defence challenges. This collaboration is not limited to hardware – it includes joint research programs, information exchange, training initiatives, and testing exercises. The agreement also establishes mechanisms for organising workshops, seminars, and technical exchanges to build shared expertise in critical areas.

A major feature of this partnership is the transfer of know-how, technological capabilities, and equipment between the two countries. This is expected to fast-track innovation and help each side leverage the other’s strengths in research and development.

Key domains identified for cooperation include aeronautical platforms, unmanned systems, advanced defence materials, cyber security, artificial intelligence, space systems, navigation technologies, advanced propulsion, high-end sensors, quantum technologies, and underwater platforms. By focusing on these areas, India and France aim to jointly tackle emerging security challenges and expand their technological edge.

This agreement reflects a maturation of India-France defence ties – not just in procurement, but in co-creation and long-term technological collaboration. For India, it reinforces the vision of strategic self-reliance in defence innovation. For France, it offers a deeply integrated partner in the Indo-Pacific, building on decades of mutual trust and shared security interests.

Officials from both sides have expressed strong confidence in this framework, noting that the cooperation will not only enhance bilateral security but could also create spillover benefits for global defence technology. Looking ahead, India and France plan to capitalise on this agreement to deepen joint R&D initiatives, particularly in emergent domains such as quantum systems and underwater technology.