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French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday extended his warm wishes to the people of India on the landmark occasion of the nation's 80th Independence Day.
In a message posted on X, the French President wrote, "Congratulations to the Indian people on your 80th Independence Day!" Earlier, the Embassy of France in New Delhi also marked the occasion by sharing a sentimental tribute highlighting the experiences of French diplomats stationed in India. "Our warmest wishes on #IndependenceDay2026! India leaves a lasting impression on everyone who calls it home -- even for a little while," the French Embassy stated on X. The greeting underscores the deep-rooted strategic and civilisational ties between New Delhi and Paris. Bilateral relations between the two nations were further elevated earlier this year to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" during President Macron's official visit to India in February 2026, marking a significant milestone in defence, clean energy, space, and deep-tech collaboration. During his visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Macron decided to celebrate 2026 as the 'India-France Year of Innovation', calling it a shared commitment. Earlier in June, Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived in the coastal city of Nice, France, for a high-profile, two-nation European tour featuring India's participation in the upcoming G7 Summit and participation in Bharat Innovates 2026, an event jointly inaugurated with French President Emmanuel Macron. At the inauguration of Bharat Innovates 2026, French President Emmanuel Macron declared that the Indo-French relationship has evolved beyond traditional diplomacy into a "deep reality". Speaking alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Macron emphasised that India's role as a global powerhouse is now central to France's strategic, industrial, and academic vision for the 21st century. "Our partnerships have been transforming, and India has become a deep reality. We have to work to improve the situation, to come up with more decarbonised energy, and to continue cooperating in terms of research and observation to be able to have an open science," said President Emmanuel Macron. Beyond the International Solar Alliance, the two nations are exploring nuclear energy cooperation, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), to ensure decarbonised power and energy self-reliance. According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India and France established diplomatic relations soon after India's independence in 1947 and have enjoyed close and friendly relations since then. Launched on 26 January 1998, the Strategic Partnership with France was the first ever for India with a Western nation and the first for France with a non-Western nation. Defence and security, civil nuclear matters and space constitute the principal pillars of this strategic cooperation. Among the significant achievements in the defence partnership is the P-75 Scorpene Project of which the last and the sixth submarine was commissioned in the Indian Navy in January 2025, and the completion of delivery of 36 Rafale aircrafts by France to India in 2022. (ANI)
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