Answer: India and France enjoy a traditionally close and friendly relationship. In 1998, they entered into a “Strategic Partnership” based on the convergence of views on various international issues. For India, France could act as a doorway to the European Union (EU). The bilateral relationship could help India in deepening its engagement with the EU in the following ways:

• As the President of the Council of EU: Recently, France has taken over the Presidency of the Council. As the President, France will be instrumental in steering the economic, strategic, and security decisions of the EU. This could result in greater convergence between India and the EU in these areas, as India and France share common values and visions.
• The impact of Brexit: The United Kingdom’s departure has left enormous political and financial gaps in the EU thereby shifting the centre of gravity towards other Eurozone members especially Germany and France. With France looking at Brexit as an opportunity for a “European Renaissance and a change in dispensation in Germany, the case for EU balance shifting in favour of France gets strengthened. Thus, a strong bilateral relationship with France will be in India’s interest to take the India-EU relationship to the next level.
• Convergence over the Indo-Pacific: The EU’s strategy for cooperation in the Indo-Pacific will be formally adopted during the French presidency. This is expected to result in greater convergence between India and the EU on the question of the Indo-Pacific, as both India and France firmly share the vision of freedom and rules-based order in the region.
• Facilitate greater trade engagement: India and the EU are presently negotiating a Free Trade Agreement (FTA). India’s successful trade relationship with France (despite the pandemic, bilateral trade stood at US $8.85 billion in 2021) could help in generating greater synergies between India and the EU and could help arrive at a consensus regarding the FTA.

The bilateral relationship between India and France is not only crucial for unlocking the synergies between India and the EU but it is also crucial for sustainable and stable world order, because of the following reasons:

• International forums: In the UN Security Council and other international forums, where competing and complex sets of interests affect choices of members, France has been a reliable, strong and consistent partner of India.
• Development cooperation in other regions: Indo-French partnership is critical for India to safeguard its interests, including the security of the sea lanes, freedom of navigation and the protection of the marine commons. It also works jointly to uphold international law and support the organic evolution of a rules-based regional architecture and for development in other regions, for instance, Indo-French cooperation for development in Africa.
• Cooperation for environment protection and sustainability: The Indo-French cooperation for sustainable development is crucial. Together, they have taken various steps such as declaring the year 2021-22 as the Indo-French Year of the Environment, formation of the International Solar Alliance, etc.
• Space cooperation: India and France have a rich history of cooperation in the field of space. They have issued a “Joint Vision for Space Cooperation” and both advocate peaceful and constructive development of the space sector. The two countries have also cooperated for various space programmes such as Gaganyaan, GSAT-11, etc.
• Cooperation for strategic autonomy and multilateralism: India sees France as a resident power in the Indo-Pacific and considers France to be indispensable for ensuring peace and stability in the region. Both countries not only share the vision of free and rules-based conduct in the Indo-Pacific region but also the vision of strategic autonomy and a multi-polar world.

Thus, India’s strong bilateral relations with France will not only be a fundamental anchor in shoring up the Brussels-India dynamic during its presidency but it is also crucial for protecting the commons and upholding international law and multilateralism.