How France succeeded in steering India from Russian arms suppliers

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi stepped before reporters alongside French President Emmanuel Macron during the latter’s visit to Mumbai, declaring that the Indian-French partnership “knows no boundaries.”

Shifting geopolitics — shaped by India’s complex neighbourhood, expanding Chinese influence, and the unpredictable policies of US President Donald Trump — are accelerating defence and strategic cooperation between New Delhi and Paris, with an article published by The Diplomat breaking down the mutual deals.

During Macron’s fourth official visit to India from February 17–19, the two countries signed 21 agreements and documents covering artificial intelligence, defence cooperation, energy, and critical technologies, reinforcing what both sides describe as an upgraded “special global strategic partnership.”

At the heart of the relationship lies defence procurement. India is moving ahead with plans to purchase 114 Rafale fighter jets for its air force in a deal valued at roughly $40 billion. The reported loss of one or more Rafale aircraft during the brief war with Pakistan in May 2025 has not shaken India’s confidence in the French-built jet, manufactured by Dassault Aviation. While the Rafale operates in several air forces worldwide, no other South Asian country fields the aircraft.

In contrast, Colombia announced on February 23 that it would abandon what had appeared to be a near-certain Rafale purchase in favour of Sweden’s Saab and its JAS 39 Gripen fighter — a notable reversal in the global fighter market.

Point of friction in “unbreakable” bond

A key element of India’s demand is the joint production of at least 90 of the 114 jets domestically. The Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited (DRAL) facility in Nagpur, Maharashtra, is expected to play a central role in India’s Multi-Role Fighter Aircraft (MRFA) program, designed to replenish the Indian Air Force’s declining squadron strength and counter the growing aerial capabilities of China and Pakistan.

The MRFA program has faced repeated delays over the past two decades. India’s difficulties with high-performance aircraft production stretch back even further. In the early 1980s, when the Soviet Union made India the first country outside the USSR and Warsaw Pact to receive the MiG-29, New Delhi struggled to master the complexities of advanced aircraft design and manufacturing.

As the article points out, the Rafale partnership strengthens domestic industry participation. In 2017, India’s Reliance Aerostructure Limited and France’s Dassault established the DRAL joint venture to support production and aerospace manufacturing in India.

However, difficult negotiations over technology transfer are still ahead. While France has agreed to joint production, reports indicate reluctance to transfer critical source codes for the SPECTRA electronic warfare suite and other core systems. Without such access, India would be unable to independently integrate certain sensors or weapons or modify the aircraft’s software without French approval — a familiar challenge from earlier attempts to upgrade platforms like the MiG-29.

Successful pull away from Moscow

France’s defence industry has grown increasingly reliant on India, which has emerged as its largest and most important export market. Over the past decade, France has risen from a minor supplier to become India’s second-largest defence partner after Russia. Roughly half of French arms exports by volume have gone to India, and between 2019 and 2023, New Delhi accounted for nearly one-third of all French arms exports.

French naval exports tell a similar story. Between 2019 and 2024, France accounted for nearly 80 percent of India’s ship imports — a dramatic increase from around 16 percent in the 2013–2018 period and negligible levels before that.

This marks a sharp reversal from the 1980s, with the article recalling a time when Soviet platforms dominated India’s armed forces and Moscow even leased a nuclear submarine to New Delhi, providing foundational experience for India’s own nuclear submarine program.

If drawing India away from Russia has long been a European ambition, France now appears to be leading that effort. Yet New Delhi continues to pursue its strategy of multi-alignment. Although Macron has offered additional submarines, India is reportedly leaning toward a deal with Germany’s ThyssenKrupp Marine Systems (TKMS) to build six advanced conventional diesel-electric submarines — underscoring its intent to balance partnerships rather than rely exclusively on one supplier.

By Nazrin Sadigova