NewzVille Desk
India and France have reviewed the expanding canvas of bilateral cooperation in science, technology and space. Union Minister for Science and Technology Dr Jitendra Singh held a bilateral meeting virtually with French Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space Prof. Philippe Baptiste.
Dr Singh highlighted that India-France engagement in science and space has evolved into a strong pillar of bilateral relations, contributing to both technological advancement and closer people-to-people connections.
The Minister noted that the declaration of 2026 as the Indo-French Year of Innovation offers a significant opportunity to scale up collaboration in emerging areas.
Talking about space cooperation, Dr Singh highlighted the long history of collaboration between Indian Space Research Organisation and National Centre for Space Studies, including joint satellite missions.
The Minister mentioned cooperation on NavIC ground station development in France and acknowledged France’s support in India’s Gaganyaan mission. Dr Singh also highlighted India’s Deep Ocean Mission and its extensive coastline as key strengths in advancing ocean-related partnerships.
The French Minister described India as a key and trusted partner in space and research cooperation. Prof Baptiste highlighted the strong legacy of collaboration and expressed interest in further strengthening cooperation across Earth observation, launch systems and space exploration.
The French Minister conveyed the country’s readiness to expand cooperation in human spaceflight, including training, microgravity experiments and long-term collaborative opportunities. He also invited India to participate actively in the International Space Summit to be held in Paris in September this year, suggesting alignment with India’s Bengaluru space event to create a coordinated global platform for space discussions.
The Department of Space said that the interaction reflected the depth of the long-standing India-France strategic partnership, with both sides expressing satisfaction over the sustained momentum in collaboration, particularly in high-technology domains.
Both sides also acknowledged the important role played by the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research (CEFIPRA) in sustaining long-term scientific collaboration and fostering research partnerships across institutions.
