India, France agree to step up cooperation in space technology

NEW DELHI: India and France today decided to step up cooperation in space technology and use it in the maritime domain.

The two sides also decided to expedite work on the Jaitapur nuclear power plant during talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and Central National D'Etudes Spatiales (CNES) inked an agreement for end-to-end solution for detection, identification and monitoring of vessels in the regions of interest.


India and France share a robust relationship in the area of space which is five-decades-old.

In the field of atomic energy, the two countries signed an agreement to expedite the work on Jaitapur nuclear power plant.

The "Industrial Way Forward Agreement" was signed between EDF, France, and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).

The EDF will be constructing six atomic reactors in Jaitapur with a capacity of 1,650 MW each. The plant which will come up in coastal Maharashtra will be the largest nuclear park in the country.