The India-France Horizon 2047 Roadmap (2023) and the Future of Bilateral Cooperation

Board of Peace 24

Policy Update

Devanandana C

Background

India and France established diplomatic relations in 1947, shortly after India’s independence, and have emerged as long-standing strategic partners in the Indo-Pacific. Over the decades, France became one of India’s most stable and trusted strategic partners. In 1998, France became the first major Western country to establish a strategic partnership with India. Since then both countries have maintained a consistent partnership founded on deep mutual trust, adherence to the principles of the United Nations Charter, and shared values anchored in international law.

Commemorating the 25th anniversary of the India–France Strategic Partnership, the two nations formalised the Horizon 2047 Roadmap, a long-term framework designed to guide bilateral cooperation over the next quarter-century. The roadmap offers a clear structure for collaboration in important areas like defence and security, the Indo-Pacific, civil nuclear energy, space, technology and innovation, trade and investment, climate action, education, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.

Its objective is to advance strategic autonomy, bolster the rules-based international order, and respond to emerging global challenges by strengthening bilateral and multilateral partnerships. Unlike the previous bilateral agreements, which were sector specific, the Horizon 2047 Roadmap takes a comprehensive view of the partnership. It focuses on connecting India and France’s core interests to geopolitical, geo-economic, and technological convergence while emphasizing the importance of ongoing high-level political consultations and institutional engagement to advance the objectives outlined in the roadmap.

Additionally, it aims to boost cooperation among governments, industries, research institutions, and civil society, understanding that lasting partnerships need involvement beyond just the government. By laying out a plan that goes until 2047, the roadmap provides stability and direction for future teamwork. This approach enables both countries to respond more effectively to emerging regional and global challenges and to further consolidate their strategic relationship, while being open to new opportunities.

Functioning

The Horizon 2047 Roadmap outlines long-term priorities while remaining flexible enough to accommodate new initiatives in response to evolving global circumstances. Its implementation is facilitated through regular summit meetings, ministerial dialogues, institutional partnerships, specialised working groups, defence cooperation agreements, and collaborative initiatives involving government agencies, research institutions, universities, and the private sector. Rather than establishing a separate implementing authority, the roadmap builds upon existing bilateral institutions while introducing new collaborative mechanisms to ensure effective coordination and cooperation across multiple sectors. The roadmap is organised around three broad pillars—Partnership for Security and Sovereignty, Partnership for the Planet, and Partnership for the People. 

  1. Partnership for security and sovereignty

Serving as the cornerstone of the Horizon 2047 Roadmap, this pillar seeks to contribute towardstrategic partnership by focusing ondefense, maritime security, emergingtechnologies, and multilateralism, andunderlines the shared strategic interests of both India and France, as well as their commitment to a free, open, and rules-based international order. This pillar focuses on:

Digital Public Infrastructure: India and France are working in collaboration to create open and free democracies in terms of digital economies and societies through DPI. The areas that will be concentrated on initially include mobility, business, and culture to demonstrate the advantages of connectivity through open standards.

Critical technology: India and France are working together to boost cooperation in critical and emerging digital technologies in line with the Indo-French Roadmap on Cyber Security and Digital Technology 2019. Both countries are partnering to promote research and development, including supercomputing, cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and quantum technologies, and to advance the objectives of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI).

Defense Cooperation: India and France have significantly strengthened their defence partnership through regular joint military exercises such as Varuna (naval), Garuda (air), and Shakti (army), enhancing interoperability between their armed forces. Beyond military exercises India and France also join hands for a free, open and rule based Indo-Pacific and cooperate in Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA), this strengthens maritime security in the region. Under the Make in India initiative this partnership also promotes defence industrial cooperation through technology transfer and joint production.

Civil nuclear cooperation: In 2008, India and France signed a significant civil nuclear pact, making France the first country to forge such an agreement with India after the United States. The partnership includes collaboration on the Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project in Maharashtra, where six European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) are planned, promoting technological cooperation, energy security, and the expansion of clean nuclear energy. 

Space Cooperation: India and France have developed a robust partnership in space research through collaboration between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Centre National d’Études Spatiales (CNES). Their cooperation covers satellite launches, Earth observation, space exploration, and space situational awareness, including plans for a joint Mars mission. They also collaborate on space debris management through initiatives such as CAESAR and JAC, enhancing the safety, sustainability, and efficiency of space operations.

  1. Partnership for the Planet

 This pillar focuses on strengthening India–France cooperation in addressing global environmental challenges and promoting sustainable development. 

Financing the energy transition: France has supported India’s transition towards sustainable development through significant financial assistance and investment. The French Development Agency (AFD) has financed the CITIIS 2.0 sustainable cities program in partnership with the European Union and Germany’s KfW bank. Proparco has funded the South Asia Growth Fund III, which backs clean energy and energy efficiency initiatives. Moreover, in alliance with Satya Microcapital, Proparco works to improve rural women’s access to microcredit opportunities that serve climate change finance and inclusive development purposes. 

Decarbonised Hydrogen: India and France are cooperating under the Indo-French Roadmap on Decarbonised Hydrogen, with McPhy and L&T collaborating on electrolyser production in India. This partnership supports the development of clean hydrogen technologies and India’s broader shift towards low-carbon energy.

Blue Economy: National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) and France’s Institut Français de Recherche pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (IFREMER) cooperate under an MoU linked to India’s Deep Ocean Mission, which involves exchanging scientific knowledge and technical know-how along with conducting deep sea studies. The collaboration helps to explore and understand oceanic resources sustainably. 

  1. Partnership for the people

This pillar focuses on strengthening people-to-people connections between India and France through greater cooperation in education, student mobility, research, and diplomatic engagement. It also promotes cultural exchanges through institutions such as the Alliance Française, museums etc. It seeks to deepen social, academic, and institutional ties, thereby creating a stronger foundation for long-term bilateral relations. 

Student Mobility: France aims to increase the number of Indian students studying in the country, targeting 30,000 students by 2030. Measures such as five-year Schengen visas for Indian master’s graduates, expanded Campus France support, and special international classes are intended to facilitate student mobility and integration. 

Diplomatic and Consular Networks: India and France are expanding their diplomatic presence through a new Indian Consulate General in Marseille and a French Bureau in Hyderabad. This expansion is expected to improve consular services and strengthen institutional engagement between the two countries. 

Research and Innovation: Scientific cooperation is strengthened through 25 French R&D centres in India, annual research funding, and increased support for CEFIPRA (Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research). These initiatives promote joint research and technological collaboration in emerging and advanced fields.

Performance

The performance of Horizon 2047 Roadmap can be assessed through the progress achieved in various sectors such as defence, technology, education, innovation, and institutional cooperation since its adoption in 2023. Its performance is especially remarkable in how strategic cooperation goes far beyond the conventional areas of defence and nuclear energy and into contemporary sectors like artificial intelligence, digital technology, innovation and economic security. Thus, the Strategic Partnership has been able to expand considerably in its scope. Although it is a long-term framework and cannot be fully assessed within this short period.

Defence cooperation has remained the strongest performing area. India and France have been progressing in the fields of co-design, co-development, and co-production of defence equipment. The Defence Industrial Roadmap finalized in 2024 has acted as a driver for the above-mentioned initiatives. The Joint Statement of 2026 gave new impetus to the bilateral cooperation in the sphere of air, naval, land, and dual-use technologies. The establishment of a Joint Advanced Technology Development Group is an indication of efforts to make defence cooperation systematic.

Technology and innovation have also gained considerable importance. The establishment of India-France Year of Innovation 2026 and the India-France Innovation Network is indicative of the broadening of relations in areas other than traditional strategic fields. Besides, both the countries announced their Innovation Roadmap 2030 in June 2026 that would give a long-term vision for cooperation in research, technology, and innovation. 

Trade and Investment are important indicators of the expanding bilateral partnership between both countries. The developments such as the growth in bilateral trade value and increasing investment between India and France reflect the strengthening of their economic engagement. In other words this emphasises that alongside strategic and technological collaboration, the Horizon 2047 framework also contributes to the expansion of economic cooperation.

People-to-people interaction has also shown notable progress.Both countries are going ahead with the aim of reaching 30,000 Indian students in France by the year 2030. The International Classes Scheme, which started in 2024, as well as the introduction of the Young Professionals Scheme have opened new doors for the student and professional interchange. 

The performance of the roadmap is therefore positive, particularly in strategic and technological sectors. The success of Horizon 2047 must consequently be evaluated over the longer term rather than through immediate numerical outcomes. 

Impact

The Horizon 2047 Roadmap has had a significant impact on the India–France Strategic Partnership by transforming it into a broader and more future-oriented relationship. The Roadmap enables India to diversify its international partnerships and reduce its dependence on a single defence supplier thereby it helps in strengthening its strategic autonomy.

Through cooperation in defence production, space technology, nuclear energy, and cutting-edge technologies, this partnership offers India an opportunity to diversify its international partnerships and cut down its overdependence on one external power. The roadmap also contributed to the modernization of India’s defense industry and technology ambitions.The emphasis on co-production and technology partnerships is particularly important for the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative.

India does not simply want to import defense equipment; it wants to develop its own manufacturing capabilities and become part of the global process of defence production. Thus the India-France relations can contribute to the development of India’s defence industry. For France, this partnership is a strategic opportunity to increase its political, economic, and military influence in the Indo-Pacific. France is an Indo-Pacific power, with overseas territories, citizens, and military presence in the region. Cooperation with India gives France the opportunity to enhance its involvement in the region and participate in maritime security initiatives. In addition, it gives French businesses access to the Indian market. 

At the regional level, the roadmap has strengthened the India–France vision of a free, open, inclusive, and rules-based Indo-Pacific. Joint maritime exercises, naval cooperation, and regional coordination contribute to greater maritime security and strategic stability.

The impact of the roadmap on the larger global picture has been equally vital. India and France collaborate on climate change, renewable energy, the International Solar Alliance, reforms in multilateralism, and global security issues. Their partnership reflects the growing importance of middle-power cooperation in a multipolar international system.

Emerging Issues

The success of The Horizon 2047 Roadmap depends on how effectively both countries are able to tackle challenges posed by evolving geopolitical, technological and economic realities. One of the major concerns is the need for effective implementation and regular monitoring of the roadmap’s objectives.

The India–France Joint Statement mentions the establishment of the Annual Foreign Ministers’ Comprehensive Dialogue, whose purpose will be to assess the state of bilateral cooperation and the level of approval of the Horizon 2047 Roadmap. This highlights the significance of regular checks that ensure institutional cooperation in transforming the broad commitments of the roadmap into actual results. A further emerging issue concerns the rapid advancement of critical and emerging technologies. Cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital technologies, cybersecurity, and other advanced technologies requires sustained investment in research and innovation.

The Joint Statement emphasises the need for India and France to deepen technological cooperation and jointly develop critical and emerging technologies. The implementation of the roadmap is further complicating things due to the greater geopolitical uncertainties. The India–France Joint Statement also recognizes the impact of global instability from the warfare in Ukraine and other regions including West Asia. Such developments may reposition both the countries in terms of global strategic priorities and economy. Vulnerability of global supply chain networks and restricted access to critical minerals remain significant obstacles.Although India and France are strengthening cooperation in this area, building diversified and resilient supply chains is essential for the long-term goals of the Horizon 2047 Roadmap. 

Source: Prime Minister of India. (2026). India–France Joint Statement. 

Way Forward

The long-term success of the Horizon 2047 Roadmap will depend on the ability of India and France to translate their broad strategic commitments into measurable and sustained outcomes. This can be supported through the preparation of annual progress reports and the use of measurable indicators or Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) to assess progress across key areas. It is important to enhance coordination and monitoring by institutions, and the Comprehensive Dialogue of Annual Foreign Ministers can be used to monitor progress on the roadmap objectives and define areas which need more attention.

At the same time, cooperation in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, digital technologies, and other emerging fields must remain flexible and research-oriented. Greater participation from universities, research institutions, startups, and private industries is necessary to ensure that bilateral technological cooperation keeps pace with rapid global developments. India and France should also cooperate further to develop the critical minerals strategy and improve supply chain resilience through cooperation in exploration, processing, recycling and technology as it will help to minimize dependence on fragile global supply chains and enhance the sectors of economic and technological security.

Furthermore, regular diplomatic consultations and stronger coordination on regional and global crises will be necessary to ensure that the partnership remains adaptable within an increasingly uncertain geopolitical environment. India and France can strengthen their cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, maritime security, and multilateral institutions to promote regional stability and a rules-based international order. Overall, the long-term success of Horizon 2047 will depend on India’s and France’s ability to adapt to emerging challenges while maintaining sustained and meaningful cooperation. 

References

About the Contributor:

Devanandana is an International Relations student at Loyola College, Chennai, who has completed a Bachelor’s degree in French Literature.Interested in researching gender trends and impacts in international relations.

Acknowledgement:

The author extends sincere thanks to the IMPRI team for their guidance. The author also extends sincere thanks to Shivali Yadav and Dolly Kaushik for their constructive reviews and editorial support.

Disclaimer:

All views expressed in the article belong solely to the author and not necessarily to the organisation.

Read More at IMPRI:

Amrit Bharat Station Scheme

Island Diplomacy and Maritime Security: Assessing the Implications of India’s Renewed Defence Partnership with Seychelles in 2026

Author

Related Posts

Talk to Us