The India-France Partnership: The Past, Present, and Future
Introduction:
India and France, are two geopolitical heavyweights in their respective regions, ie, South Asia and Western Europe. They have shared a unique and special relationship since 1947 with co-operation in multiple fields, like Indo-Pacific, counter-terrorism, nuclear energy, defense, space, and cybersecurity. The Indian Air Force is/was equipped with large numbers of French-made planes like the Jaguar, the Mirage-2000, and the Rafale. French technical assistance and investments in India are also large in size and scope. The French President, Emmanuel Macron stated recently that he wanted 30,000 Indian students studying in France every year by 2030. All of this is in a bid to reduce dependence on other states in these fields. French is one of the most widely taught foreign languages in Indian schools. What explains these close and warm relations between the two countries?
It is necessary to look at how Indian and French interests have evolved in the post-World War 2 International Order, and the other major actors in this grand chessboard of geopolitics.
Indian Foreign Policy and Strategic Interests post-independence:
India: India declared independence on August 15, 1947, after spending decades under the British Imperial and Colonial rule. Large chunks of the country, under the rule of Local Kings, had decided to remain independent, or were on the fence. It was important for the state to integrate these regions into the mainstream of the country.
Pakistan: Pakistan had been carved out of some of India’s Muslim majority regions and had declared its independence on August 14, 1947. it flanked India on its Western Frontier and had a 4000+ kilometre long border in its East, including the vital Northeastern Region. It could cut off the Siliguri Corridor (also called the Chicken’s Neck) if it could pull off a quick military operation.
USSR:The USSR was an immediate military threat due to its proximity to the mountainous regions of Northern India. In those days, the USSR was only 20 kilometers from the then-kingdom of Jammu and Kashmir, which signed the instrument of accession in October 1947 with India amid an invasion from proxies backed by Pakistan. The mountainous regions of Kashmir and Ladakh were very important, due to control over the vast water resources of the Himalayan rivers.
China: China was embroiled in a civil war until 1951 and hence, was not seen as a threat initially. However, when the Communists emerged victorious, India’s Prime Minister Pt. Jawaharlal Nehru realized he would have to develop good ties with both the USSR and the PRC in an attempt to pit them against each other. If these two states became allies, it would spell disaster for India. Due to the aforementioned complications, The USSR had become a de-facto ally of India, which was good optics for Communism, as the largest democracy in the world had decided to side with the USSR and abandoned the American Camp.
From the very beginning, the USA had a deep interest in establishing and maintaining strong military ties with Pakistan due to its strategic location, separated from the USSR by the domain of Afghanistan. The fact that Nehru was suspicious of Washington DC also pushed Islamabad towards Washington and Washington towards Islamabad. The American outreach to Pakistan was a part of its strategy to contain the USSR, with other Asian countries involved in this strategy being Iraq, Iran and Turkiye. The CENTO Alliance was formed, albeit without the USA being formally part of it. The map shows exactly why. Turkiye could prevent the USSR from projecting power into the Mediterranean due to its control over the Bosphorus, the Dardanelles Straits, and the Sea of Marmara. Iran was the buffer between the USSR and the oil-rich Gulf States. Pakistan would be a crucial ally in curbing Soviet access to the Arabian Sea and the Indian Ocean.The spread of communism to either of these countries would be catastrophic according to the Domino Theory. While it is famous in the context of Southeast Asia, it was equally applicable to West Asia.
French Foreign Policy and Strategic Interests:
Since World War 2, France’s foreign policy can be defined with two words — ‘Strategic Autonomy’. This is steeped in the events at the beginning of World War 2 where French forces capitulated to Nazi Germany in short order. There was no strategic assistance forthcoming for the French. After World War 2, France under President Charles De Gaulle joined the AMerican-led Western Order. This was a given due to the French-American friendship that went all the way back to the 18th Century, and due to France’s location in Western Europe.
Even though France did join the American-led world order post World War 2, De Gaulle was always a bit skeptical of American Hegemony. He decided that France would have to maintain its autonomy at all costs. This belief was ingrained into French institutions. It was so steeped, that between 1966 and 2009, France left NATO’s Command Structure, and developed its own Nuclear Bombs. This would allow France to maintain autonomy from the USA and have its own independent nuclear deterrent. It also has one of the few European Militaries that is prepared for war and has expeditionary capabilities. The French Military has been very active in French speaking African states where they have had a large military presence for a while. The French Defence Industrial Complex has also been kept active at high costs to the French exchequer even after the end of the Cold War. Where Germany, Sweden, and other states of Western Europe de-militarized, France kept maintaining its military strength.
This policy of Strategic Autonomy has been institutionalized and France has also attempted to extend it to the European Union. Charles De Gaulle realized how a strong, united, and independent Europe could be used as a tool for France to improve its position in the world order. President Emmanuel Macron too, envisions the EU as a vehicle to advance French interests. France also has a distinct vision for a multipolar world, with no single country having hyperpower status. After the end of the Cold War, France also established a strong outreach to Russia to pull it away from the Chinese Orbit and to establish a third pole independent from both China and the USA. This policy was taken so seriously and has been so institutionalized that Emmanuel Macron, the President of France, visited Moscow on a state visit on the 7th of February, 2022, 3 weeks before the Russians invaded Ukraine to make a case for de-escalation. Initially, French military aid to Ukraine was also limited to leave open a door for negotiations with Russia. However, when it was clear that Moscow was not going to relent, France dialed up its military support to Ukraine, supplying all sorts of lethal weapons like Howitzers, ASTER and MISTRAL Surface-to-Air Missiles, Caesar Howitzers, Mirage-2000 fighter jets and 120mm Mortars. This is by no means a comprehensive list. It also deployed its troops at NATO posts in Lithuania, Romania, and Estonia.
The colonial angle from India’s perspective:
The French colonial presence in India has been limited since the defeat of the French at the hands of the British in the late 1700s. As such, French legacy in India is largely untainted, which has made successive Indian governments less wary of Paris. Indians flock to Pondicherry in large numbers. Even today, Pondicherry is a lot like visiting places along the French Mediterranean Coast, like Nice or Marseille. France also returned its miniscule colonial holdings to India peacefully by 1962 when the French Parliament ratified the Treaty establishing De Jure Cession of French Establishments in India. In contrast, Portuguese holdings in India (primarily Goa, but also Daman, Diu, and Dadra And Nagar Haveli) had to be liberated by force, when India launched operation Vijay in 1961, forcing the Portuguese Military to surrender. This gesture of goodwill that France extended towards post-colonial India formed the basis of a very strong friendship and provided a good base for Indian-French relations to start from.
The colonial angle from France’s perspective:
The process of decolonization of Colonial Possessions across the world started in the aftermath of Worl War 2. Paris held a lot of colonies in North Africa which now started fighting for their independence. This prompted Paris to reconsider its foreign policy and improve ties with countries outside the Francophone world. India’s location made it a prime candidate for improvement of ties. By returning its colonies in South Asia back to New Delhi, Paris gained a valuable ally. Its Overseas Territory of Mayotte, located off the African Coastline, was (and still is) more than enough to be a staging ground for power projection into the Indian Ocean, should the need arise. The Soviet outreach to India was also a cause of concern due to the Domino Theory. According to this theory, any state that became communist would then support communist movements in its neighboring states. After the 1956 Suez Canal crisis, French suspicion of Washington DC skyrocketed. It culminated in France leaving the NATO Integrated Command Structure in 1966. In a scenario like this, it was important for France to make as many allies and friends as possible. India was one of the prime candidates for forming partnerships and building bridges with. Perceptions of France were negative in many parts of the world, but not in India. Even today, France continues having a very positive perception in both the Indian Government, and the Indian public. This confluence of changes in French Foreign Policy, French Colonial Legacy of India (or lack thereof), as well as Indian skepticism of Washington DC and London, made France an ideal candidate for outreach to India.
India and France had their own paradigms of Strategic Autonomy that, in realpolitik terms, meant building closer ties to each other. This led to an institutional framework in both states that have brought the two closer to each other, irrespective of which party would be in power in either country. Marine Le Pen, The leader of the Right wing National Rally, claimed she was the best placed to speak to Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India. In France, both the Left and the Right broadly agree on a few foreign policy decisions, which include greater Strategic Autonomy for France and decoupling of defense from the United States. Even India, from the times of independence, has shared warm ties with France irrespective of the party in power. Both the Indian National Congress-led Governments and the Bharatiya Janata Party-led Governments have pushed for more cooperation with The Fifth French Republic. India has, by-and-large, tried to capitalize on French interests of diversification of partners. C Raja Mohan, India’s Leading Analyst, says that India and France are very much interested in deepening security ties, especially in the context of the Indian Ocean.
India and France in the Contemporary Era:
The two countries continue to share warm ties and a common goal. This friendship, that, at its core, is 100% ideological, has actually resulted in institutional goodwill and mutual respect. India and France continue to cooperate in the Indo-Pacific and constantly conduct maritime exercises. They also celebrated 25 years of the upgradation of India-France ties to a strategic partnership. High-level intelligence cooperation, defense deals, technology transfers, and economic partnerships continue to deepen with time. Dassault entered a Joint Venture with Reliance Defence and aim to manufacture the Falcon business jet out of their Nagpur Facility. It also plans to open a Maintenance, Repair, and Operations Facility amidst reports of orders for 114 Rafale jets by the IAF and 26 Rafale-M Jets by the Navy. The Navy has also ordered 6 Scorpene class submarines that have been delivered. These were built locally in India with technology transfer from France. There are plans to order more of these submarines.
Future of Ties between India and France:
The future of India and France as strategic partners is bright. The prospects for cooperation and partnerships in various fields is bright. India has exported its Unified Payments Interface Technology to French Payments Company Lyra Network. While it is meant for Indian Tourists, at least for now, it can eventually expand to include payments in Euros for French (and other European) Citizens and Residents. Indian Tourists flock to France in the hundreds of Thousands. French Companies rely on Outsourcing to India. Defense Cooperation is also poised to further increase, in spite of hurdles in the past like the Rafale Controversy.
India and France, having similar goals of a multipolar world order, a push to prevent the rise of China and a Sino-Russian Alliance, as well as restricting American Hegemony, at least in their backyards, find themselves closer together as reliable partners.