French President Emmanuel Macron Extends Greetings on India’s 80th Independence Day

August 15, 2026

Paris: French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday extended his warm greetings to the people of India on the occasion of the country’s 80th Independence Day.

In a message posted on X, Macron wrote, “Congratulations to the Indian people on your 80th Independence Day!”

Congratulations to the Indian people on your 80th Independence Day! 🇮🇳🇫🇷

— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) August 15, 2026

Earlier, the Embassy of France in New Delhi also marked the occasion with a message highlighting the lasting impression India makes on French diplomats and others who spend time in the country.

“Our warmest wishes on #IndependenceDay2026! India leaves a lasting impression on everyone who calls it home — even for a little while,” the French Embassy said in a post on X.

India-France Ties Elevated to Special Global Strategic Partnership

Macron’s greetings come amid strengthening strategic ties between India and France.

The bilateral relationship was elevated earlier this year to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership” during Macron’s official visit to India in February 2026. The partnership covers key areas including defence, clean energy, space and deep-tech cooperation.

During the visit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Macron also agreed to observe 2026 as the ‘India-France Year of Innovation’, describing it as a shared commitment between the two countries.

Macron Highlights Growing Innovation Partnership

In June, Prime Minister Modi visited Nice, France, as part of a two-nation European tour that included India’s participation in the G7 Summit and Bharat Innovates 2026, which he jointly inaugurated with Macron.

Speaking at the inauguration, Macron said the relationship between India and France had moved beyond traditional diplomacy and become a “deep reality”.

He said India’s growing role as a global power was central to France’s strategic, industrial and academic vision for the 21st century.

The two countries are also exploring cooperation in clean and nuclear energy, including Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), alongside work in areas such as research and open science.

Defence, Nuclear Energy and Space Key Areas

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, India and France established diplomatic relations soon after India’s Independence in 1947 and have maintained close and friendly ties.

The Strategic Partnership, launched on January 26, 1998, was India’s first such partnership with a Western country and France’s first with a non-Western country.

Defence and security, civil nuclear cooperation and space remain key pillars of the relationship.

The defence partnership has included the P-75 Scorpene submarine project, with the sixth and final submarine commissioned into the Indian Navy in January 2025, as well as the delivery of 36 Rafale fighter aircraft by France to India, completed in 2022.