A delegation of over 100 representatives from 60 French aerospace companies arrived in New Delhi to strengthen collaboration with India’s aerospace sector. Led by the French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS), the delegation's visit, scheduled from October 7 to 10, aims to explore partnerships with Indian companies ranging from prime contractors to start-ups, covering civil, defence, and space segments.

Currently, over 60 GIFAS member companies operate in India, with more than 30 industrial sites established across the country. Key areas of cooperation include training, innovation, and decarbonization in aerospace.

The delegation attended a France-India seminar at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi, followed by a press conference. Notable attendees included Guillaume Faury, Chairman of GIFAS and CEO of Airbus, Frederic Parisot, CEO of GIFAS, and French Ambassador to India Thierry Mathou. Representing the Indian side, Union Minister of Civil Aviation Kinjarapu Rammohan Naidu led the delegation of 160 representatives, alongside members from the Society of Indian Defence Manufacturers, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), and the Indian Space Association.

The renewed collaboration follows a series of Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed last year, where 28 French companies participated in key agreements with Indian partners. Notable outcomes included a pact between Skyroot Aerospace and Prométhée Earth Intelligence, a French satellite operator, to offer launch services using Skyroot’s Vikram rockets. Another agreement saw Expleo partner with ConnectSAT to support the OSIRIS satellite constellation with reconfigurable software for ConnectSAT’s IoT satellite, set to launch aboard Vikram-I.

India’s National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) also signed a MoU with Kinéis, a French satellite connectivity provider, to bolster satellite ground station infrastructure for improved real-time data reception in the Indian Ocean region. Additionally, ISPA and GIFAS signed a new MoU to extend their six-decade-long collaboration in the space sector.

GIFAS noted that this year’s mission aims to build on these successes by promoting joint ventures, innovation, and technology sharing between India and France, further strengthening the bilateral aerospace partnership. 

(Business Standard)