Policy Update
Varisha Sharma
1 Introduction
Naval power has been a major determinant of power since ancient times. In the contemporary era of geopolitics, control over certain sea lanes of communication (SLOC), important maritime ports and important straits like the Strait of Hormuz and the Bab al-Mandab Strait has become a domain of power struggle. At the same time, the Indo-Pacific region is slowly becoming the epicentre of the world with almost 60% of the Global GDP and 65% of the population concentrated in this region (ICWA, 2025). Despite its current centrality in the global economy, the Indo-Pacific region is fraught with security issues, maritime piracy and human trafficking amidst other concerns. India sits at the helm of the Indian Ocean thus occupying a significant position in the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). France retained sovereignty over the islands of Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean and New Caledonia and French Polynesia in the South Pacific Ocean making it a major maritime power of the region. On the other hand, China is slowly expanding its influence in the region through its Maritime Silk Road Initiative (MSRI) and by signing trade treaties with different island countries in the region. (Mohan and Baruah, 2018).
In light of this, the India-France Joint Development of Maritime Domain Awareness is a necessary step taken by the Indian and French governments to counter the rise of other powers like China, maintain relations with the Middle East and ensure strategic positioning of their respective nation’s interests in the Indo-Pacific.
2 Maritime Domain Awareness
According to the International Maritime Organisation (IMO), Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) is defined as “an instrument for the effective understanding of any activity associated with the maritime environment that could impact upon the security, safety, economy or environment.” However in contemporary times, especially after the 9/11 attacks, the notion of MDA and its implications for security have expanded in both traditional and non-traditional sense. Today the maritime domain covers a multidimensional canvas including not just water bodies but the airspace over the oceans and outer space. The focus has also expanded from ensuring the safety and security of SLOC to generating energy, investing in newer industries related to deep sea mining of rare earth minerals and sustaining fisheries and other marine industries (ICWA, 2025).
3 Why does MDA matter to India?
The Indian Ocean Region is one of the most important trading regions in the world with over 30% of global container traffic and 45% of crude oil shipments passing through it. It becomes extremely important for the Indian state as over 90% of India’s trade (by volume) is done through the sea routes of the Indian Ocean (Ahmad, 2024). India also has one of the largest Exclusive Economic Zones here that is roughly 2 million sq km. The presence of critical checkpoints like the Strait of Hormuz or the Bab al-Mandab make surveillance essential for national interest. Thus, Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) becomes important to ensure protected sea lanes and uninterrupted trade. Following the 26/11 terrorist attacks India prioritised its maritime surveillance under MDA even expanding the contours of MDA to counter non-traditional security threats (International Maritime Organisation, 2025). India also sees itself as a net security provider in the Indian Ocean Region and reaffirms this vision through initiatives like SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region) and the Indo-Pacific Ocean Initiative. As an important part of expanding the Maritime Domain Awareness and fostering collective maritime security, India has set up the Information Fusion Centre-Indian Ocean Region (IFC-IOR) which acts as an institution to collect, share and analyse relevant maritime information with partner states.
4 Why does MDA matter to France?
France occupies a unique strategic position in the Indo-Pacific region. France is a European power. However, it retains control over the islands of Reunion and Mayotte in the Indian Ocean and New Caledonia and French Polynesia in the South Pacific. Thus alongside the other 22 members, France is also a member of the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA). These overseas territories and other scattered islands in the region lead to France having the largest exclusive economic zone in the world (11 million square kilometers) – 62% of which is in the Pacific and 24% in the Indian Ocean. The French diaspora in the Indo-Pacific region which at present is 1.6 million is also increasing. MDA helps France regularly monitor its fisheries and secure its offshore energy infrastructure. France also maintains its military troops in the region with bases in Djibouti and forces at Reunion and the MDA supports French naval operations by providing information regarding security threats and potentially illicit activities.
Like India, France also receives non-traditional maritime threats like piracy in the Gulf of Aden, smuggling of drugs or other contrabrand and IUU fishing in the EEZ’s . Therefore, alongside protection, MDA becomes important to ensure the safety of the SLOC’s and monitor the undersea structures. It is an important tool of diplomacy and the basis of joint exercises and patrols with different nations. In recent years. France has pushed for joint development of Maritime Domain Awareness to counter the growing influence of China in the region. Beijing is engaging with countries in the region through its connectivity and infrastructure projects under the Maritime Silk Road Initiative(MSRI). The joint development MDA is beneficial to both India and France particularly in helping them establish and reassert their identity in the Indian Ocean Region.
5 Evolution of India-France Strategic Maritime Partnership
While India and France established a strategic partnership in 1998, for decades it was limited to arms supply and technology cooperation. It is in 2017 with the election of Emmanuel Macron, that maritime relations became central to Indo-France bilateral ties. The dialogue between New Delhi and Paris is currently focused on exchanging more maritime intelligence, establishing agreements to expand their naval reach, sharing military facilities, conducting joint naval operations, and deepening trilateral and multilateral cooperation with like-minded countries (Mohan and Baruah, 2018).
In 2009, France strengthened its maritime role by opening a base in Abu Dhabi. In 2013, France saw a significant opportunity to expand naval trade in the region. In early 2015, Prime Minister Modi visited 3 countries in the Indian Ocean Region (Mauritius, Seychelles and Sri Lanka) and announced the policy of SAGAR (Security and Growth for All in the Region). SAGAR claimed India’s responsibility for the security of the Indian Ocean and also signalled India’s decision to work with other countries to strengthen its maritime partnership.
6 White Shipping Agreement, 2017
In January 2017, India and France signed the White Shipping Agreement which is the foundation of India-France joint MDA. The agreement enables reciprocal sharing of information about non-military commercial vessels and builds a situational awareness of maritime merchant traffic. The agreement was signed during the Second Dialogue on Maritime Cooperation between India and France held in New Delhi, India on January 19, 2017. Its implementation also included the appointment of a French liaison officer at the Information Fusion Centre- Indian Ocean Region (Crimario, 2017).
7 Joint Strategic Vision for the Indian Ocean Region, 2018
On 10th March 2018, during President Macron’s visit to India, both nations signed the Joint Strategic Vision of India-France Cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region which reaffirmed commitment to increased maritime information sharing and swift implementation and operationalization of the White Shipping Agreement, 2017 (MEA, 2018). The document also affirmed commitment to international law and treaties including the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS). Further, the leaders of both nations also welcomed the MoU signed between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the Centre Nation D’Etudes Spatiales (CNES) in 2019 which is aimed at co-developing a maritime surveillance satellite system focused on the Indian Ocean and related data fusion mechanisms which would ultimately strengthen the maritime domain awareness in the Indian Ocean Region.
8 Indo-France roadmap on blue economy and ocean governance, 2022
India and France have dynamic maritime sectors and this plan aims to support sustainable maritime trade, marine research, coastal management, and ocean observation. It aimed to revitalise fisheries and other key marine sectors of the blue economy while respecting the environment, coastal and marine biodiversity. An MoU was also signed between the Ministry for Ecological Transition (MTE) and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate change (MoEFCC) in 2018 resulting in a working group on environment, which raises pressing matters on climate change, air quality, protected areas and biodiversity, among others.
9 India-France Indo-Pacific Roadmap, 2023
Adopted by India and France in July 2023 this policy document expands their bilateral partnership into a joint vision for cooperation across the Indo-Pacific region, beyond just the Indian Ocean. It was unveiled during Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to France on the occasion of Bastille Day. This document complements the larger Horizon 2047 Roadmap, a long-term framework for bilateral cooperation through to 2047, but that focuses on joint efforts in the Indo-Pacific, especially in areas of security, economic development, maritime cooperation, and regional stability. It also affirms strengthening of regional cooperations like IORA and the Indian Ocean Naval Symposium and reflects a shared commitment to strengthening of plurilateral arrangements like that with Australia and UAE (Malhotra and Fournol, 2023).
10 Maritime Cooperation Dialogue 2023 and 2025
The 6th India–France Maritime Cooperation Dialogue took place in Paris on 26–27 October 2023. Senior officials from both countries reviewed ongoing cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region (IOR) and discussed ways to expand maritime collaboration under frameworks such as the India–France Roadmap on Blue Economy and Ocean Governance and broader strategic priorities in the Indo-Pacific. The bilateral naval exercises-VARUNA which have been ongoing since 2001 and aim at deepening interoperability between the Indian and French navies in areas such as anti-submarine warfare, replenishment at sea, and information sharing were also discussed.
The 7th India–France Maritime Cooperation Dialogue was held on 14 January 2025 in New Delhi. Both sides discussed ways to enhance bilateral maritime cooperation and reaffirmed their commitment to upholding international maritime law, supporting multilateralism, respecting sovereignty and territorial integrity, protecting freedom of navigation and cooperating in maritime information sharing. A key outcome of the 2025 dialogue was the agreement to develop a joint assessment of threats to maritime security in the IOR which includes cooperation on countering piracy and armed robbery, maritime terrorism and illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing.
11 India-France Trilaterals in the Indo- Pacific
Minilaterals have been a frequent part of the contested Indo-Pacific region. They are considered more effective than multilateral institutions due to their direct organisation and lower operational costs. Trilaterals particularly overcome the limitations of both bilateral and multilateral institutions and emerge as a flexible yet potent ground for collective action.
The operationalisation of the India-France-United Arab Emirates (IFU) and India-France-Australia (IFA) trilaterals in the Indo-Pacific region as a part of India-France Maritime Domain Awareness demonstrates a pragmatic approach toward enhancing regional security. They leverage existing bilateral strengths to address contemporary challenges including traditional security threats and new issues like critical infrastructure protection and climate change.
12 India-France-Australia Trilateral
The India–France–Australia (IFA) Trilateral Dialogue was launched in September 2020 at the Foreign Secretaries’ level and the first formal meeting was held virtually on 9 September 2020, co-chaired by senior foreign service officials from India, France, and Australia. Its initiation stemmed from a shared interest in maintaining a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. A key area of cooperation has been maritime domain awareness, where the three countries explore information-sharing, coordinated surveillance, and ecological monitoring in the Indian Ocean and wider Indo-Pacific. The framework also provides space for discussions on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief, climate and biodiversity, support for multilateral norms and protection of the marine global commons by working together on issues like illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing and protecting critical subsea communication cables (Lahiri, 2025). The IFA trilateral becomes extremely relevant in the current geopolitical context as it complements other multilateral and minilateral formats in the Indo-Pacific, including the Quad (India, Australia, Japan, and the United States) and brings a European strategic perspective (through France) together with Indo-Pacific partners, emphasizing shared commitment to regional order under international law.
13 India-France-UAE Trilateral
The India-France-UAE trilateral was formally launched in February 2023 following a series of ministerial talks in September 2022. It represents a significant step towards a more integrated security architecture in the Indian Ocean and builds upon strong bilateral ties between India and France, and India and the UAE. Key areas of cooperation include energy, particularly solar and nuclear energy, climate change and biodiversity, alignment of economic, technological, and social policies with the goals of the Paris Agreement and defense and security. (MOFA, 2023). The first-ever trilateral Maritime Partnership Exercise (MPX) was conducted off the Gulf of Oman in June 2023 and involved a wide spectrum of naval operations. Information sharing under Maritime Domain Awareness and a commitment to develop joint assessment measures of maritime security threats like maritime terrorism is central to this trilateral (Lahiri, 2025).
14 Challenges and the Way Forward
India–France cooperation on Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA) has expanded significantly through mechanisms such as the White Shipping Agreement (2017), the Joint Strategic Vision for the Indian Ocean Region (2018), space-based surveillance collaborations via ISRO-CNES, and regular Maritime Cooperation Dialogues. However several structural, geopolitical and operational challenges remain.
Data integration remains a major challenge since India and France use different technological architectures, classification standards, and data-processing systems for maritime surveillance. Integrating white-shipping data, satellite feeds, coastal radar inputs, and AIS information into a seamless operational picture remains complex. Further, India’s MDA priorities centre around the wider Indian Ocean Region (IOR), including chokepoints from Strait of Hormuz to Malacca, whereas France mainly focuses on the western IOR and the area near its Pacific territories.
India–France MDA is partially embedded in wider networks (e.g., IFC–IOR, Indian Ocean Commission structures, minilateral exercises). While beneficial, this introduces coordination challenges across multiple actors and formats, and can produce redundancy or fragmentation if not carefully aligned.
The way forward would include deepening technological integration and standardisation by establishing common data standards and secure communication channels. Both countries can also look towards expanding their space MDA cooperation. As envisioned in the 2025 Maritime Cooperation Dialogue, the focus needs to shift from primarily traditional security threats and expand to non-traditional threats like that of IUU fishing and maritime terrorism.
15 Conclusion
The India-France Joint Development of Maritime Domain Awareness is one of the most comprehensive marine bilateral partnerships. What began with information exchange and political convergence in the Indian Ocean has evolved into a multidimensional security cooperation framework spanning space-based surveillance, liaison officer networks, threat assessments, minilateral formats, and shared support for a rules-based maritime order. In the context of increasing resource uncertainty and political turbulence generated by the rise of China and uncertainty regarding the U.S., this partnership becomes crucial for both countries to leverage strategic power in the Indo-Pacific region and navigate the shifting dynamics of alliances in a multipolar world.
References
Ahmad, T. (2024, March 15). Indian Ocean: By the numbers. Frontline. Retrieved from https://frontline.thehindu.com/world-affairs/indian-ocean-region-by-the-numbers-vital-hub-for-global-commerce-strategic-chokepoints-vast-oil-reserves.
Mohan, C. R., & Baruah, D. M. (2018). Deepening the India-france maritime partnership. Carnegie India, 8. Retrieved from https://carnegieendowment.org/research/2018/02/deepening-the-india-france-maritime-partnership?lang=en
Indian Council of World Affairs. (2025). Maritime domain awareness in the Indo-Pacific region (ICWA Special Publication). Indian Council of World Affairs. Retrieved from https://icwa.in/pdfs/MaritimeDomainAwarenessweb.pdf
International Maritime Organization. (2025). Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
Retrieved from https://www.imo.org/en/ourwork/security/pages/maritime-domain-awareness.aspx
Crimario. (2017, February 7). Indo-French agreement on maritime cooperation. Crimario.
Retrieved from https://crimario.eu/indo-french-agreement-on-maritime-cooperation/
Ministry of External Affairs. (2018, March 10). Joint Strategic Vision of India–France cooperation in the Indian Ocean Region. Government of India. Retrieved from https://www.mea.gov.in/bilateral-documents.htm?dtl%2F29598%2FJoint+Strategic+Vision+of+IndiaFrance+Cooperation+in+the+Indian+Ocean+Region+New+Delhi+10+March+2018
Malhotra, S., & Fournol, T. (2023). India-France trilaterals in the Indo-Pacific: imperatives, interests, initiatives. In India-France trilaterals in the Indo-Pacific: imperatives, interests, initiatives: Malhotra, Shairee| uFournol, Thibault. New Delhi, India: ORF, Observer Research Foundation.
Retrieved from https://www.orfonline.org/research/india-france-trilaterals-in-the-indo-pacific
Government of the United Arab Emirates, Ministry of Foreign Affairs. (2023, February 5). UAE, France, India establish trilateral cooperation initiative, adopt implementation roadmap. https://www.mofa.gov.ae/en/mediahub/news/2023/2/5/05-02-2023-uae-cooperation
Lahiri, M. S. The Power of Three at Sea: India’s Trilateral Partnerships in Action. Maritime Security and Multilateral Constructs, 36.
Retrieved from https://maritimeindia.org/the-power-of-three-at-sea-indias-trilateral-partnerships-in-action/
About the Contributor
Varisha Sharma is a research intern at IMPRI and as of 2026, a final year student of Political Science Hons at Miranda House, University of Delhi. Intellectually driven and curious, her interest in International Relations stems from her love for traveling and learning about new cultures.
Acknowledgement
I would like to extend my sincere gratitude to Ms. Aasthaba Jadeja, Ms. Bhaktiba Jadeja and IMPRI India for their guidance and support.
Disclaimer
All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.
Read More at IMPRI
Unlawful Activities Prevention Act – 2026
From Opaque to Open: The Quest for Algorithmic Accountability in Indian Public Services
