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The big deal with France

FRANCE’S President Emmanuel Macron has returned home from his Indian trip a happy man because his visit was greeted with near-universal applause that France is the country of choice for India to do business with.

The big deal with France

Looking ahead: After Brexit, India would need a strong backer in Europe.



S Nihal Singh

FRANCE’S President Emmanuel Macron has returned home from his Indian trip a happy man because his visit was greeted with near-universal applause that France is the country of choice for India to do business with.

This follows Britain’s decision to leave the Commonwealth and the growing feeling that Britain’s interests would diverge and India would need a strong backer in Europe. France was the primary candidate because it was ready to underpin security in the Indian area, increasingly an area of Chinese naval activity. Indo-French collaboration will require the interoperability of French equipment and command-level operations. 

Although the French were disappointed that India did not order more French fighter aircraft, the significance of the deal cannot be underrated. India has cast its advanced fighting force to French technology, having decided that it was the best on offer.

One must remember that France is the second-most important nation in Europe, and after Britain’s departure, the only European nation possessing nuclear weapons. In view of the large Indian origin population in the United Kingdom, there will remain a constituency for the UK, but trade will be increasingly diverted towards the European continent. This will be a matter of concern for Britain because it will lead to a drop in funds for Britain.

Will France fill Britain’s shoes in another era? The question is more complex because of the dynamics of the situation. The United States has become something of a surprise in the Trump era. The ramifications of a self-centred policy have still to be determined. 

The French have developed their own elan and pride themselves in doing things their way. It would be a good lesson for Indian seamen to learn the French method of doing things and the value of learning a new language is not to be sneezed at.

To gain the full benefit of Indo-French partnership, one must go to the roots of French seamanship. It will grow with benefit from a long-term relationship. One must also remember that the playful and frothy currents washing the shores of the Indian Ocean are worthy of respect. In a sense, they are a mighty symbol.

For India, the role of a favourite uncle was played by the Soviet Union, later the Russian Federation. In selecting Rafale, India was figuratively going from the MiG era to the supersonic age. While India must recognise the help given by Moscow, India’s decision was probably based on sound reasoning. The Congress party has not been able to prove its belief that the French took India for a ride.

It must be clear to all that having selected Rafale, the government has closed the issue because each plane costs a fortune. Rather, the accent should be on getting the planes as soon as possible to modernise India’s fighting force. Indeed, the task of modernisation has become a subject of contention, with the Army falling short of its minimum requirements. China, on the other hand, is vastly expanding its armed forces.

The larger area of India’s interest takes in Australia and Japan, but the kind of relationship these countries should develop with the underpinning of the United States has still to be put in place. On its part, India is seeking a less confrontational approach to China, even within the ambit of the close Pakistani relationship with Beijing.

With President Xi Jinping now in an unassailable position, having been given an open-ended term, he will presumably take the long-term view of things. He might even consider whether enmity with India is desirable even while building interlocking ties with Pakistan.

Indeed, India’s External Affairs Ministry has put on its thinking cap to find avenues of cooperation and the initial reaction from the Chinese side is positive. It is a process rather than an event and will unfold over time. 

India still has a long way to go in refining its strategy. It is in the nature of the relationship between an arms supplier and recipient that the supplier has the upper hand, but the factory has to guard its reputation and there are few customers in mega deals in the world.

Security these days comes at a high cost and the shortfalls in covering costs for the Army are an indication of escalating bills. The sooner the problem is sorted put, the better it will be for the country’s armed forces.

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