India’s G7 role indispensable, Rafale deal to align with Make in India: French envoy Mathou

Ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to France next week for the G7 summit, French ambassador Thierry Mathou tells TOI’s Sachin Parashar in an exclusive interview that India’s involvement with the group of world’s most advanced and industrialised nations has become indispensable. The ambassador also said India’s participation in a “defensive” mission to secure the Strait of Hormuz once the conflict is over would send a powerful signal.

Excerpts:

France is hosting the G7 summit amid the protracted West Asia conflict. How do you think the summit will help address the conflict’s economic consequences like the global energy crisis and its impact on the Global South, particularly partners like India?

The Évian Summit comes at a pivotal moment, as the consequences of the conflict weigh heavily on the global economy. In a sense it brings the G7 back to the basics, as it was created in 1975 on France’s initiative to deal with the crisis following the first oil shock. True to this spirit, the French G7 Presidency aims to deliver tangible solutions. We have already contributed to G7 efforts to release strategic supplies in a coordinated manner to reduce impacts on global oil prices, including by coordinating with the Gulf economies.

President Macron is seeking early US-Iran ceasefire agreement and immediate reopening of the Strait of Hormuz. He has also remained in touch with PM Modi on the issue. Do you see India also as playing a role in the “defensive” coalition that France has proposed for unimpeded passage through the Strait?
We cannot accept the Strait to be managed in a manner inconsistent with the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea and navigation rules. This precedent would have disastrous consequences in other parts of the world, particularly in the Indo-Pacific. France is fully committed to supporting the resumption of safe and unimpeded navigation through the Strait of Hormuz. Since the Paris Summit on Freedom of Navigation of 17 April, which India attended, a broad international consensus has emerged in favour of freedom of navigation and the launch of a strictly defensive mission, distinct from other operations, once security conditions so allow. India’s participation would be a powerful signal.

France has been actively backing India’s involvement with G7. What role do you see India playing in addressing issues related to global economic imbalances and ensuring a more inclusive and resilient international order?

As global imbalances worsen, the involvement of India and other partner countries within the G7 has become indispensable. For the first time, India and other partner countries have been closely associated upstream of the summit, participating in Sherpa meetings and ministerial sessions. To this end, we are seeking to build collective momentum so that we can, together with the United States and China, hold a serious discussion on the root causes of these imbalances. Our second priority concerns the overhaul of international partnerships, for which working closely with India is crucial. We must move away from the official aid approach towards genuine co-investment. Given India’s economic and demographic weight, its contribution to the discussion is of paramount importance.

The G7 Foreign Ministers' meeting this year stressed the need for global governance reform. Can we expect some concrete proposals at the Summit to ensure institutions like the UNSC are more attuned to current geopolitical realities?

The precise agenda of the Summit is still being finalised as I speak. France’s position on this subject is well known. Reforming the Security Council, particularly by including India, Brazil, Germany, Japan and two African States as permanent members, is key to strengthening its representativeness and legitimacy. We are convinced that such a reform is possible. It is therefore imperative to begin negotiations based on a draft text, without waiting for prior consensus, which has proved unattainable to date.

With the G7 focused also on critical minerals, do you see the Summit working to develop alternatives against China’s dominance?

There is a clear momentum to reduce the exposure of our value chains, minimise excessive dependencies, and combat non-market practices that distort fair competition. Concrete deliberations have already been undertaken under the French G7 Presidency to converge on a framework to diversify our supply sources. We hope that these efforts will conclude successfully and be endorsed by as many States as possible. France is also organising a high-level event on critical mineral cooperation a few days ahead of the Evian summit.

Given the level of trust between India and France, defence cooperation remains a central pillar of the relationship. India recently issued the formal Letter of Request for the 114 Rafale aircraft under the MRFA program. With India expecting 94 of these jets to be built here, what percentage of technology transfer will France agree to, particularly regarding the Safran M88 engine technology?

As these discussions are ongoing, you will understand that I cannot go into any details. Let me just say that, as with many other defence programmes France has developed with India, we intend this new acquisition to be in line with “Make in India” requirements.

Is there any specific takeaway you are looking at from the Macron-Modi bilateral in terms of the ongoing bilateral cooperation on critical and emerging technologies, including AI, space and civil nuclear energy?

The India-France Year of Innovation 2026 has given tangible momentum. President Macron’s visit in February set clear deliverables in technological fields. The bilateral meetings in Nice alongside the Bharat Innovates conference will enable us to take stock of progress and define the next steps. One critical tool we created on this occasion is the Indo-French Innovation Network, a digital platform involving all the stakeholders for bridging the ecosystems of our two countries. France and India have played a significant role in deepening global discussions on AI along with the private sector. Our ambition is that these outcomes should translate into concrete cooperation, not merely declarations.


Read the latest news on the go. Download the TOI app.