India and France Deepen Space Ties With New Private-Sector Deals

Indian and French companies signed three new agreements at the first International Space Summit in Paris on September 9-10, covering satellite launches, space surveillance and microsatellite technology, according to an official announcement. The summit featured 51 announcements in total, representing about 20 billion euros in contracts, investments and other commitments, and builds on more than five decades of cooperation between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and France's space agency (CNES).

France's Safran Space signed contracts worth more than 5 million euros with India's Dhruva Space to supply communication systems, inertial navigation units, optical payloads and ground stations for India's planned SBS-III space-surveillance constellation, which is envisaged to deploy 52 satellites between 2027 and 2030. The deal builds on Safran's earlier involvement in India's Chandrayaan-III lunar mission and its expanding industrial presence in the country.

French launch-services provider named RIDE! signed an agreement to launch two satellites for TakeMeToSpace, described as India's first designer of orbital data centres, building on earlier cooperation between RIDE! and Indian space companies, including the recent integration, launch and return of a European atmospheric re-entry capsule aboard India's Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle (PSLV). Separately, French company U-Space and Indian firm AXISCADES signed a commercial cooperation agreement to explore India's microsatellite market, following a phased roadmap under India's "Make in India" policy.

Cooperation between India and France in the space sector has expanded over the years to include Earth observation, space geodesy, human spaceflight and next-generation launch-vehicle technologies, according to India's Ministry of External Affairs. ISRO and CNES have concluded agreements covering future launch-vehicle technologies, the joint TRISHNA Earth-observation mission, maritime domain awareness and space situational awareness, while India's PSLV has commercially launched French satellites and France's Arianespace has provided launch services for Indian geostationary satellites.