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In this episode of India Today Global, former Indian Ambassador to France Mohan Kumar discusses the elevation of India-France relations to a 'special global strategic partnership' following the Mumbai summit between PM Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron.
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00:00Hello and welcome, I'm Pranayupadhyay and you're watching India Today Global.
00:04The big story we are starting with.
00:06After United Kingdom, European Union, it's France now.
00:10India-France bilateral and trade relations will see a new impetus
00:14with the arrival of French President Emmanuel Macron.
00:17The Mumbai meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Emmanuel Macron
00:21highlighted a deepening India-France strategic partnership
00:24built for the long term and aimed at global impact.
00:27The leaders re-affirmed cooperation across the wide spectrum of the cooperation
00:34and the partnership, artificial intelligence, advanced material, defense
00:38and startup ecosystem symbolized by the virtual inauguration of the Airbus
00:45H-125 helicopter assembly line in the state of Karnataka.
00:50My dear friend, President Macron,
00:53the two nations, the delegates, the media, the media.
01:00Namaskar.
01:02Bonjour.
01:07Bonhomie strategy and a clear message to the world.
01:11The Modi-Macron meet in Mumbai signaled a partnership that goes beyond diplomacy.
01:18Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron
01:22came together to reaffirm ties from artificial intelligence to advanced materials,
01:27from defense to digital science.
01:30They made it clear the ties are designed for the long haul and for global impact.
01:36Indo-France Center for AI in health.
01:41Indo-France Center for digital science and technology.
01:47And National Center of Alliance for Skilling in Aeronautics launch.
02:02A key symbol of that trust, the virtual inauguration of the Airbus H-125 helicopter assembly line
02:09at Vemagal in Karnataka.
02:30India-France partnership knows no boundaries.
02:39Beyond manufacturing, the message was strategic.
02:42Both leaders spoke in one voice on democratic values, the rule of law and multipolar world.
02:49The partnership is not a key symbol of strategic.
02:54The global stability and global progress is not a key symbol.
02:55In the world's world, the global stability and global progress is a key symbol.
03:27From Rafale fighter jets to submarines,
03:30defence cooperation is expanding.
03:33Macro called India one of France's most trusted partners.
04:03In the world facing uncertainty, conflict and power rivalry,
04:08the India-France partnership is projecting stability, balance and trust.
04:12Bureau Report, India Today.
04:19So what exactly this elevated special global strategic partnership of India and France will stand for?
04:25What message India and France are trying to convey on the global stage?
04:29To discuss this issue, I am being joined by a special guest, Ambassador Mohan Kumar,
04:34who has contributed to the building of this relationship,
04:37who has served as India's ambassador in Paris.
04:39And also, I am expecting Mr. Francois Gauthier, the known French journalist and author.
04:45So first to you, and I can see Mr. Gauthier as well on the screen,
04:48but my first question to you, Ambassador Kumar,
04:50that with this India-France ties now elevated to a special global strategic partnership after the Mumbai summit.
04:56How do you see this reshape our defence collaboration and that to the strategic partnership for a longer run?
05:05Thank you very much for having me.
05:06I think this is a clear reaction to geopolitical turbulence.
05:11There is no other way to interpret how this partnership has stood the test of time
05:17and why the two countries felt the strong need to elevate this partnership.
05:22So it's definitely a force for stability.
05:26Two middle powers, although I recognise that France is a much more developed country than India.
05:32So I call them two middle powers trying to ring-fence their relationship in the face of global turbulence.
05:41That's point number one.
05:42Point number two on defence.
05:45When I was ambassador in Paris, I would plead with my French interlocutors
05:50that let's stop doing this, just this buyer-seller relationship.
05:55Let's start making this equipment in India only because India does not have limitless dollars
06:03to keep buying expensive planes and other equipment from France.
06:09I am particularly happy that the big change has come in this visit
06:14where you have quite a few announcements.
06:17And let me just give you two of those.
06:19One out of 114 Rafal, 18 of them will be taken off the shelf in new form.
06:27But the rest of the 96 will be made in India with at least 60% localisation content.
06:34This is what we were arguing for for many, many years now.
06:39So that is a welcome change.
06:41The second thing is the inauguration of the helicopter assembly line
06:46where, again, we are not just going to make helicopters for the Indian market
06:51but also for exports to third markets.
06:55And along with this, you are going to have substantial...
06:57So, Ambassador Kumar, you mean to say that, you know, this new forthcoming fleet of 114 aircraft,
07:02this will be a true example of India-France joint collaboration
07:06because, as you mentioned, that the 60% of the component will be indigenous, India-made.
07:12Absolutely. That's what I'm trying to say.
07:14I'm really trying to say there is a paradigmatic shift
07:18in the way we are going to conduct defence ties.
07:21The other thing I see is that this is going to be now a medium to long-term partnership.
07:28This is not just a buyer-seller relationship.
07:31And I think we will be able to do many things because of the spin-off benefits
07:36that come from defence partnerships in terms of technology.
07:41But Ambassador Kumar, looking at the list of the 21, you know, agreements
07:45which are announced today, what excites you the most
07:48and which, you know, which agreement or announcement you see as the most promising one?
07:54I'm a geopolitical person, so the one that excites me most is that Horizon 2047,
08:04which was announced three years ago, will now be overseen by the two foreign ministers every year.
08:10I think this is a wonderful move because without political overseeing and management,
08:16you cannot implement this roadmap.
08:18So that's a wonderful thing.
08:20I also think some of the smaller things like the ecosystem linking of innovation
08:26and start-up systems between the two countries holds a lot of promise.
08:32I also think the use of AI in health and setting up an institute in aims is also of great
08:39importance.
08:40Ambassador Kumar, please stay on.
08:42Let me bring Francois Gauthier as well in this discussion.
08:46Francois, welcome to India Today.
08:47And what do you make out of this latest shift in attitude and approach of Europe,
08:53especially France, towards India?
08:55Is it more strategic or tactical in approach, the way Europe is engaging with India
08:59amid these global tensions, as Ambassador Kumar also mentioned?
09:03Well, I'm a Frenchman and my heart is in India.
09:06I live in India.
09:07I'm married to an Indian.
09:08And so I am most happy about this rapprochement, this India and France together.
09:16But let me say that I have covered five presidential visits from, you know,
09:21from Franรงois Mitterrand to their Mr. Macron.
09:25And I see a lot of goodwill, a lot of handshake, a lot of beer hacks, you know,
09:30between Mr. Modi and Mr. Macron, but not much hand on the ground.
09:33There's a lot of intent.
09:34If you look at the MEA, you know, points, you know, there are a lot of letters of intent,
09:40there are a lot of, you know, future things.
09:42But on the ground, since I live in India for such a long time,
09:46I don't see much investment of France in India, real, real, you know,
09:51investment like the Koreans or the Germans do.
09:57Of course, the sale of the Rafale is the most important.
10:01Yes.
10:02In terms of, you know, economically.
10:04But I would like more France investing politically, you know,
10:09even emotionally in India, supporting Kashmir, for instance,
10:13India's stand on Kashmir, which I've been trying to, you know,
10:17put across in France for a long time, but not much success,
10:20supporting more India against Pakistan, selling to India nuclear plants
10:25that India, that France has promised for such a long time.
10:28But I don't see much thing on the ground.
10:30I see a lot of goodwill, a lot of intent.
10:32Exactly.
10:32I wanted to come to this point, Mr. Gauthier,
10:34that with the growing influx, or we are expecting, you know,
10:37more influx of the French business and culture leaders, you know,
10:41after these agreements.
10:42In your opinion, since you have chronicled the India-France relation,
10:46what exactly is going to reshape the everyday collaboration
10:49between our two countries?
10:52See, two things have to change.
10:54One, India has to make it easier to invest here.
10:56It is still very difficult.
10:57As a Frenchman living in India, though I'm an OCI, married to an Indian,
11:01it's very difficult.
11:02It's very difficult to invest and do business in India for a foreigner.
11:05That's the first thing.
11:06The second thing is that the image of India in France has to change.
11:10There are specialists in France that keep on talking about caste,
11:14fundamentalism, Hindu fundamentalism.
11:16And as long as this is there, and they're supported by the government,
11:19they're sponsored by the government.
11:20As long as this is there, there's a reluctance on the part
11:24of the French businessmen to heavily invest in India.
11:26So two things have to change, and they haven't changed, I'm sorry to say.
11:29It's still difficult to do business in India for a French company.
11:33And the image of India in France, it's still not what it should be,
11:36a nation on par with China, you know, an alternative for the West to invest
11:41instead of putting all the chips in China.
11:44So I think these are not changed yet.
11:47And I think, Gauthier, this was the reason that both leaders have addressed
11:51the business leaders as well.
11:52But I would want to bring Ambassador Kumar as well in this conversation.
11:55You know, a quick closing comment by you, Ambassador Kumar,
11:58that we have heard both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Macron
12:01talking in the same voice and favoring the rule-based order,
12:05not letting the hegemonic approach to cause disturbance in the partnerships.
12:08Do you see it as a message to maybe President Donald Trump?
12:15No, I'm not sure they were addressing anybody in particular.
12:19But what I would say is the following.
12:22You know, geopolitical turbulence is not just coming from one country or one leader.
12:27We have a problem in the Taiwan Straits.
12:31We have a problem in the Gulf in terms of what is happening in Gaza and so on.
12:38We have a problem in Ukraine.
12:41So geopolitical turbulence is not confined to just one actor or one country.
12:47That would be unfair.
12:48I think in the face of this massive geopolitical turbulence,
12:52I genuinely think that two countries like France and India,
12:57trying to share whatever they have and taking their relationship to the next level,
13:02brings a certain measure of stability and predictability to the geopolitical system.
13:08That is the way I see it.
13:10I also see that a new subject has been added.
13:15Normally, when I was ambassador, we used to say the troika of the relationship was defense,
13:23nuclear and, you know, space.
13:27Now I see technology being added to that mix.
13:31I genuinely think that in areas like 6G, AI and technology and innovation,
13:38France and India can provide a third way.
13:42There is the American way and there is a Chinese way.
13:45But I genuinely think both France and India can chart a third way or a middle path
13:52which will help democratize technology and innovation
13:56and make sure that the benefits of AI are shared by the people.
14:01Mr. Gauthier is smiling, but, you know, I'm running short on time.
14:05Thank you very much, Ambassador Kumar and Mr. Gauthier for joining me in this conversation
14:09and for sharing your thoughts.
14:11Thank you very much.
14:12And moving on, let's talk about the second round of talks
14:16between the United States and Iran,
14:18which concluded in Geneva amid the U.S. warships moving towards Iran
14:21and Tehran conducting drills in Strait of Hormuz.
14:24The talks that took place in Oman ambassador's residence went for over three hours.
14:30The meeting was attended by Iranian Foreign Minister Sayyed Abbas Araqchi
14:34and U.S. Special Envoy Steve Witkoff
14:36along with President Donald Trump's son-in-law, Gerard Kushner.
14:39Araqchi told the state media that the second round of talks were constructive
14:43and no date for the third round is set as yet.
14:48Meanwhile, protesters shouted as Iran's delegation left after talks in Geneva
14:52over Tehran's disputed nuclear program.
14:55A handful of protesters shouted,
14:57with some being pushed back by the police authorities
15:00as the Iranian convoy drove down.
15:03Hours after the talks began,
15:05Iranian state media broadcast footage of Revolutionary Guard drills
15:08in and around the Strait of Hormuz.
15:11The video showed the aerial images of cargo ships transiting the strait.
15:15Iran also said that it will close down the strait for several hours
15:19for safety and maritime concerns.
15:21This is for the first time that Iran has closed parts of the Strait of Hormuz
15:25since the U.S. began threatening Iran with military action.
15:35We managed to reach a general agreement on a number of guiding principles
15:39based on which we will move forward from now on
15:41and start working on the text for a possible agreement.
15:44This does not mean that we can quickly reach an agreement,
15:47but at least the path has started.
15:49We hope that this is done as soon as possible
15:51and we are ready to spend enough time on it.
15:53Nevertheless, when you reach the stage to put together a text,
15:56things become more difficult and detailed.
16:04And now let's talk about the beginning of new chapter in Bangladesh.
16:09Tariq Rahman takes oath as Prime Minister of Bangladesh
16:11after his party's landslide victory in elections.
16:1549 cabinet ministers were sworn in.
16:17The BNP, however, refused a second oath
16:20as member of the Constitution Reform Commission
16:22distancing itself from the recent referendum.
16:25Here is a report.
16:38Khalid Azir's son, Tariq Rahman, takes oath as Bangladesh Prime Minister,
16:42becoming the first male to hold the post after 35 years.
16:48President Mohammed Shahbuddin administered the oath
16:51to 60-year-old Rahman at the South Plaza of the Jatia Sangsad in Dhaka,
16:56marking a break from tradition as the ceremony was held outside Bongo Bhavan.
17:01Rahman's Bangladesh Nationalist Party had secured a landslide,
17:05winning 209 of 297 seats in the recent parliamentary elections.
17:12This is the first elected government since the deadly 2024 uprising which ousted Sheikh Hasina.
17:26Early in the day, newly elected MPs took oath, but controversy followed.
17:30The BNP refused to take a second oath
17:32as members of the proposed Constitution Reform Commission
17:35distensing itself from the referendum that took place along with elections.
17:53Nithya Iroya Chaudhary, a Hindu MP, and Dipen Divan from the Chakma Buddhist community
17:58are the two ministers from minority communities.
18:02Lok Sabha Speaker Om Birla attended this wedding in ceremony in Dhaka.
18:06Prime Minister Modi congratulated Bangladesh's new Prime Minister.
18:10He also invited Prime Minister Rahman, his wife Dr. Zubaydah Rahman,
18:14and his daughter Zayma to visit India at a mutually convenient time.
18:20Rahman's rise to power comes after 17 years in self-imposed exile in London,
18:25closing one chapter and opening another in Bangladesh's turbulent political history.
18:31A powerful comeback, a decisive mandate,
18:34and now a crucial test of government begins for Bangladesh's new Prime Minister.
18:39Bureau Report, India Today.
18:44And before I sign off, I'm leaving you with the visuals and this report
18:48that in a record-breaking sale, YouTuber and influencer Logan Paul
18:52has auctioned his rare Pokemon Illustrator card for a staggering $16 million,
18:57once again highlighting the booming market for high-value collectibles.
19:01So, Jhata Sharada decodes this story for us.
19:05Oh my gosh, it's over.
19:07It's over.
19:08$60 million, $492,000.
19:14Logan Paul has shattered the record books,
19:16not in the ring, but in the world of collectibles.
19:21The YouTube star and WWE personality
19:23just sold one of the rarest Pokemon cards ever for a jaw-dropping sum.
19:29$16 million, $492,000.
19:33The most expensive trading card of all time.
19:36Here it is, right there.
19:38Paul's ultra-rare Pikachu Illustrator card
19:41graded a perfect PSA 10
19:43and considered the holy grail of Pokemon cards,
19:46fetched $16.492 million at an auction,
19:51smashing the previous record.
19:54This is, bro, Pokemon,
19:56the greatest franchise in history.
19:59Yes, it is.
19:59Man, when I was playing Game Boy as a kid,
20:01just so addicted to this game,
20:05my dad never thought it would actually pay off in any way.
20:11Paul originally bought this card in 2021
20:14for about $5.3 million
20:16and this sale earns him over $8 million in profit
20:20even after fees.
20:23A Gainese World Records official confirmed
20:25it's now the most expensive trading card
20:27ever sold at an auction.
20:29No way, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, oh my gosh.
20:34Only 39 copies of the Pikachu Illustrator card
20:37were ever made
20:38and Paul's is the only one to score a perfect grade,
20:42making it one of the most co-watched pieces in the hobby.
20:46With Sujata Sharda, Bureau Report, India Today.
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