In modern times, Air defence has emerged as an important part of the national security of India. Air defence is no longer just about keeping enemy aircraft out of the airspace but has grown in scope in the wake of the evolution of warfare and the widespread adoption of modern missile systems, drone warfare, electronic warfare and cyber warfare.
The fourteen Pacific Island Countries (PICs) occupy less than 0.4% of the world's land area, yet their combined Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs) cover close to one-fifth of the Earth's surface. Their strategic location astride critical sea lanes, their vast maritime resources, and their fourteen votes in the United Nations General Assembly have transformed a region once considered peripheral into one of the most actively contested diplomatic spaces of the decade. It is in this region that India has built the Forum for India-Pacific Islands Cooperation (FIPIC), its principal institutional vehicle for engagement with the Pacific (ICWA, 2023).
In June 2025, during the Tashkent International Investment Forum (TIIF), India was among the 97 countries that participated in this forum (Global Trade and Technology Council of India, 2025). Active participation by the Global Trade & Technology Council (India) underscored New Delhi's motive to strengthen bilateral ties and invest in key sectors like healthcare, education, textiles, pharmaceuticals, manufacturing and diagnostics.
India is the third-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, which is one of the main reasons for climate change. To mitigate these emissions, India aims to achieve Net zero by the year 2070. To complete this long journey, Germany is supporting India through technology cooperation and sustainable development projects. The Green and Sustainable Development Partnership (GSDP) was formed in 2022 to achieve these objectives. Under this partnership, Germany has committed €10 billion in climate finance to India by 2030 in the form of soft loans via the KfW Development Bank, most of which has been disbursed by Germany since 2022 (Pfänder, 2025).
In February 2026, Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, made an official trip to India after being invited by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. During his visit, he took part in the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit 2026 and engaged in bilateral discussions in Mumbai on February 17. The two leaders inaugurated the 2026 India-France Year of Innovation and agreed to elevate their bilateral relationship to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership." This partnership is outlined in the joint statement as a "force for global good" that can help foster prosperity, resilience, and a "stable rules-based international order."
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.
Policy UpdateRiddhi Suthar Background The diplomatic relations between India and Seychelles were established in 1976, following Seychelles’ independence, and over the decades, India has emerged as one of the island nation’s principal security partners in the Western Indian Ocean. In…