Newsletter
India and France are taking their decades-old space partnership to the next level.
Three new deals between companies from the two countries were announced at the International Space Summit in Paris on September 9-10, signalling how their relationship is increasingly moving beyond government-led missions and into the commercial space economy.
The first edition of the summit brought together governments, space agencies, companies and scientists, resulting in 51 announcements worth around €20 billion in contracts, investments and other commitments.
So, what are the three India-France deals all about:
1. Safran Space + Dhruva Space:
French company Safran Space has signed contracts worth over €5 million with Indian space company Dhruva Space.
The deal will support SBS-III, India’s planned network of 52 satellites, which is expected to be deployed between 2027 and 2030 to monitor and support activities in space.
Safran will provide key technology for the satellites and the systems supporting them, including communication systems, navigation equipment, optical payloads and ground stations.
Simply put: the French company is supplying some of the technology India needs to build and operate its own satellite surveillance network.
2. RIDE! + TakeMeToSpace:
French launch-services company RIDE! has signed a deal with Indian startup TakeMeToSpace to launch two satellites.
TakeMeToSpace is working on what it calls orbital data centres—essentially computing and data-processing infrastructure designed to operate in space.
So, in simple terms: TakeMeToSpace is building the satellites, while RIDE! will help get them into orbit.
3. U-Space + AXISCADES:
French space company U-Space and Indian engineering firm AXISCADES have agreed to work together to tap into India’s growing microsatellite market.
The partnership will combine French space technology with India’s manufacturing and engineering capabilities, with production expected to follow a phased roadmap under the Make in India initiative.
Simply put: France brings the space technology, while India helps manufacture and integrate the satellites for a growing market.
Put together, these three deals cover different parts of the space ecosystem, from building satellites and supplying their technology to launching them and expanding satellite manufacturing in India.
The bigger trend: India and France have been working together in space for more than five decades. But for much of that time, the partnership was largely driven by government space agencies, ISRO in India and CNES in France.
Together, they have collaborated on everything from Earth observation and planetary exploration to human spaceflight and next-generation launch technologies. The two countries are also working on projects such as the TRISHNA Earth-observation mission and have set up a Strategic Space Dialogue to expand cooperation across both civilian and defence-related space activities.
But now, the partnership is evolving.
It is no longer just ISRO and CNES working together. Private companies are increasingly entering the picture, building satellites, supplying critical technology, launching spacecraft and exploring entirely new commercial opportunities in space.
That mirrors a much bigger shift happening in India’s own space sector. As private companies take on a larger role in India's space ambitions, international partnerships are also moving beyond traditional government-to-government collaborations.
So, these latest deals are part of a larger transition: India and France are taking a five-decade-old space partnership and turning it into a broader commercial and private-sector opportunity, one that stretches from Earth-based manufacturing all the way to orbit.
