India and France want to take their space partnership beyond government agencies and involve industry and start-ups, Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh said after meeting a French delegation in New Delhi on September 28.
The delegation was led by Philippe Baptiste, France’s Minister for Higher Education, Research and Space. The talks covered the Space Summit, the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, and cooperation in space, CEFIPRA and the Blue Economy. Singh, who holds independent charge of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences and also handles Atomic Energy and Space, was joined by several senior officials. They included Umesh V. Waghmare of the Department of Science & Technology, T. Srinivasa Kumar of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Rajesh S. Gokhale of the Department of Biotechnology and CSIR Director General N. Kalaiselvi. French Ambassador Thierry Mathou was part of the visiting side.
Singh said the two countries’ space ties are as old as their space agencies, beginning with sounding rocket experiments in the 1960s. He cited the ISRO-CNES satellites Megha-Tropiques and SARAL and joint work on launch vehicle engines. The third joint satellite, TRISHNA, is progressing well, he said.
He also acknowledged CNES support for Gaganyaan, including consumables and training for flight surgeons. Teams from both countries have started discussions on microgravity research and parabolic flights linked to human spaceflight.
Singh pointed to India’s space-sector reforms and said more than 400 Indian start-ups now work on rockets, satellites and space applications. The next phase, he said, could link institutions, industries and start-ups in both countries to create a larger ecosystem and resource pool.
Baptiste called TRISHNA a strong example of what the two countries can achieve together. He welcomed closer cooperation on human spaceflight, astronaut health, microgravity research and parabolic flights, and spoke favourably of connecting research institutions and start-ups across both countries.
Singh said the Year of Innovation was inaugurated in February by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the French President. He noted an upcoming Water Cycle and TRISHNA Mission event in Bengaluru on October 11, where ISRO will provide outreach material and senior officials will speak on the satellite and its applications.
He also cited cooperation in biotechnology, digital sciences and ocean sciences, including through CEFIPRA and Indo-French joint centres, and mentioned scope for work under India’s Deep Ocean Mission.
source:Press Release_ Press Information Bureau 38.pdf
