Mumbai: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said India-France relations “know no boundaries” after holding bilateral talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai, as the two nations agreed to upgrade their partnership to a special global strategic partnership.

 Modi described France as one of India’s closest and most trusted partners. “The India-France partnership knows no boundaries. It can reach from the deep oceans to the tallest mountain,” he said.

Highlighting defence cooperation, Modi announced that India and France will manufacture the H-125 helicopter in India, including a variant capable of operating at extreme altitudes such as the heights of Mount Everest. The move is expected to strengthen ‘Make in India’ in defence manufacturing and deepen bilateral industrial collaboration.

“In today’s turbulent world, the India-France partnership is a force for global stability,” Modi said, underscoring cooperation in defence, space, maritime security and emerging technologies.

President Emmanuel Macron described India as one of France’s most trusted partners and praised the “remarkable acceleration” in bilateral ties. He said the deepening India-France strategic partnership reflects the realities of a “changing international order”.

Macron added that both countries seek to uphold strategic autonomy and do not want to be subjected to any form of hegemony or conflicts driven by a few powers.

The decision to elevate ties to a special global strategic partnership signals a new phase in India-France relations, with expanded collaboration in defence production, high technology, climate action and Indo-Pacific security.

PTI