Current Affairs - International - Discussion

India and France elevated their bilateral ties to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" during President Emmanuel Macron's visit to India in February 2026. The partnership builds upon a long-standing relationship that began with the establishment of a Strategic Partnership in 1998, making France the first Western nation to do so with India. The upgraded framework includes the Horizon 2047 roadmap, a 25-year cooperation plan covering areas such as space technology, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, critical technologies, and Indo-Pacific security. Collaboration between ISRO and France's space agency CNES, along with growing commercial space partnerships, further strengthens the strategic importance of this relationship.