Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology, Earth Sciences, and Minister of State for PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh on Thursday held a bilateral meeting with France’s Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space Philippe Baptiste, with both sides reviewing progress in India-France cooperation and exploring new avenues in space, artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
The meeting, held via video conference, underscored the growing strategic partnership between India and France in science, research and advanced technology sectors.
During the discussions, Singh said the declaration of 2026 as the Indo-French Year of Innovation would provide fresh momentum to bilateral collaboration in cutting-edge domains.
He highlighted the strengthening ties between India’s Department of Science and Technology and leading French institutions, including new initiatives in advanced materials, digital sciences, applied mathematics and artificial intelligence.
The minister also reviewed the long-standing cooperation between Indian Space Research Organisation and Centre National d’Études Spatiales, citing joint satellite missions such as Megha-Tropiques and SARAL, along with ongoing work on the TRISHNA project.
Singh also referred to cooperation on NavIC ground station development in France and acknowledged French support for India’s Gaganyaan programme.
Highlighting India’s expanding private space ecosystem, the minister said recent reforms have helped create nearly 400 space startups, opening up opportunities for deeper industry-level partnerships between the two countries.
Philippe Baptiste described India as a “key and trusted partner” in research and space cooperation and expressed interest in expanding collaboration in areas such as Earth observation, launch systems and space exploration.
The French minister proposed greater cooperation in ocean-related data sharing through the “Space for Ocean Alliance” initiative and suggested stronger engagement between CNES and Indian institutions.
He also conveyed France’s readiness to enhance collaboration in human spaceflight, including astronaut training, microgravity experiments and long-term joint missions.
Baptiste invited India to actively participate in the International Space Summit scheduled to be held in Paris in September 2026 and proposed coordination with India’s Bengaluru space event to create a broader global platform for discussions on space cooperation.
The Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), in partnership with the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO), the Indian National Space Promotion and Authorisation Centre (IN-SPACe), and NewSpace India Limited (NSIL), will organise the 9th edition of the Bengaluru Space Expo (BSX) 2026 – an international conference and exhibition from September 7 to 9 at BIEC, Bengaluru.
Responding positively to the proposals, Singh said India remains open to deeper collaboration in ocean research and human spaceflight, highlighting India’s Deep Ocean Mission and its extensive coastline as major strengths in advancing marine research partnerships.
Both sides also acknowledged the contribution of the Indo-French Centre for the Promotion of Advanced Research in promoting long-term scientific collaboration and research partnerships between institutions in the two countries.
The meeting concluded with both nations reaffirming their commitment to strengthening cooperation in science, technology and space through innovation, research and industry participation.
