India inks critical mineral pacts with France; similar deals with Brazil, Canada soon

the two sides issued a joint declaration of intent to collaborate on critical minerals and metals. They also exchanged letters of intent for the same.

New Delhi: India on Tuesday inked a pact with France to step up bilateral cooperation in critical minerals and metals – continuing its move to lessen its dependence on China for essential components of clean energy technologies and industries.

New Delhi will soon ink similar pacts for cooperation in critical minerals with Brazil and Canada, too.

Following a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai, the two sides issued a joint declaration of intent to collaborate on critical minerals and metals. They exchanged letters of intent to establish a Centre of Advanced Materials between the Department of Science and Technology (DST) of the Government of India and the National Centre for Scientific Research, a.k.a. CNRS, of the Government of France.

Modi and Macron agreed on the constitution of a Joint Advanced Technology Development Group.

“Today, we are further strengthening our cooperation in critical minerals, biotechnology, and advanced materials. We are going to launch the Indo-French Centre for AI in Health, the Indo-French Centre for Digital Science and Technology, and a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics. And these are not merely institutions — they are platforms for building the future,” Modi said, as he and Macron addressed media persons in Mumbai.

The other outcomes of the meeting between the two leaders included the constitution of a Joint Advanced Technology Development Group, a Letter of Intent between T-Hub and Nord France on strategic cooperation in start-up ecosystems, innovation and technology, an MoU for Scientific collaboration between DST and CNRS, a joint declaration of intent on establishing an Indo-French Centre for Digital Sciences and Technology, a Letter of Intent between Department of Biotechnology of India and ANRS Emerging infectious Diseases of France on Cooperation in Research and Development on Infectious Diseases and Global Health Research and an agreement for the establishment of Indo-French Centre for Metabolic Health Sciences.

The two sides also agreed on amending the bilateral Double Tax Avoidance Agreement.

“To promote mutual investment, we are signing an agreement to avoid double taxation for our people and companies,” Modi said after meeting Macron. “These initiatives will energise trade, investment, and mobility — and form the roadmap for shared prosperity.”

Macron said that the India-France relationship was progressing rapidly. “We've also discussed the transit visa requirement for visiting France, and we'll study how to eliminate it... France and India are two countries that have much to offer the world,” he added.