Visit to India of the French Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Armed Forces

A delegation of the French Senate’s Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and the Armed Forces, led by Senator Catherine Dumas, undertook an official visit to India from 18 to 23 May 2025, to enhance inter-parliamentary cooperation between France and India.

Apart from its leader, the delegation included Senator Marie-Arlette Carlotti, Questeur of the Senate and former Minister; Senator Hugues Saury, Secretary of the Committee Bureau; and Senator Philippe Folliot. The mission builds on previous visits by the Committee to Indonesia (2022) and Japan (2024), and follows up on the 2020 Senate information report, “India, a Strategic Partner.”

The delegation’s programme began in New Delhi, where the senators held a bilateral meeting with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri to discuss global and regional developments, defence cooperation, and the Indo-French strategic partnership. They also engaged with Indian parliamentarians from the Standing Committees on Defence, and External Affairs, led by its Chair Dr Shashi Tharoor. The delegation was given a guided tour of India’s new Parliament building as a symbolic gesture of institutional friendship.

At the Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO), the senators met its Chairman, Dr Samir V. Kamat, to explore opportunities for joint development and technological cooperation, in line with the India-France Defence Industrial Roadmap.

The delegation also visited Birla House to pay tribute to Mahatma Gandhi, met members of the French community, and visited cultural institutions, including the French Institute in India.

The delegation next travelled to Bengaluru, where they visited Digantara, a leading Indian space-tech start-up, and toured the Thales Engineering Competence Centre, which showcases Indo-French collaboration in aerospace and defence innovation. They also visited the National Gallery of Modern Art and met the French community.

The final leg of their visit took the senators to Mumbai, where they toured the SUEZ water treatment facility, reflecting France and India’s shared interest in sustainable urban infrastructure. They also visited Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Ltd, a key player in India’s naval sector, which built Scorpene/Kalvari-class submarines for the Indian Navy under transfer of technology from France’s Naval Group. Lastly, they held discussions at the Observer Research Foundation (ORF) on strategic and geopolitical affairs with ORF Vice President Dhaval Desai and Vice Admiral Girish Luthra (Retd.).