Naval Group and NIBE Strengthen the France–India Naval Partnership

On 18 September 2026, Naval Group and NIBE Group signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) establishing a formal framework for cooperation across several key technology areas for the navies of the future. The agreement covers, in particular, underwater drones and their integration onboard submarines, weapon-ready modular launching systems, mine countermeasure capabilities, as well as submarine-related systems, technologies and maintenance activities.

Beyond its technological scope, the MoU is part of a long-term industrial approach. Naval Group has been present in India since 2008 and has supported the P75 programme, under which Mazagon Dock Shipbuilders Limited built six Kalvari-class submarines based on the Scorpène® design, with technology transfer and the development of a local industrial ecosystem. The sixth submarine, INS Vaghsheer, was commissioned in January 2025. This experience has helped strengthen Indian capabilities in engineering, integration, production and in-service support. Naval Group said in 2025 that the programme had helped build an ecosystem of more than 50 Indian companies, supported by a local subsidiary employing more than 70 Indian engineers. This industrial depth gives the new MoU a proven foundation.

The partnership with NIBE extends this momentum. An Indian industrial group active in defence, aerospace, naval systems and electronics, NIBE brings local integration and manufacturing capabilities aligned with the Atmanirbhar Bharat initiative. For Indian industry, the objective is to accelerate the mastery of complex technologies and consolidate a sovereign industrial base. For French industry, the partnership reflects a model based on technological cooperation, trust and long-term integration into Indian value chains rather than a relationship limited to equipment supply. That continuity between programmes, sustainment and future technologies is also a practical lever for naval sovereignty.

This industrial trajectory also forms part of a broader strategic rapprochement. In February 2026, France and India elevated their relationship to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership” and reaffirmed their intention to intensify the co-design, co-development and co-production of advanced defence platforms, including in the naval domain. Both countries also highlighted the success of the P75 programme and the continuation of their submarine cooperation.

The naval dimension is central to this relationship. France and India share a direct interest in the stability of the Indian Ocean and the Indo-Pacific, freedom of navigation and the security of maritime spaces. This convergence is also reflected at the operational level: the bilateral VARUNA exercise again brought together high-end naval and air assets in 2025 to strengthen interoperability between the two navies. The eighth India-France Maritime Cooperation Dialogue, held in Paris in May 2026, further illustrates the depth of bilateral exchanges on maritime issues.

Against this backdrop, the Naval Group–NIBE MoU illustrates a broader shift in defence cooperation: international partnerships are increasingly built around skills sharing, local industrialisation, resilient supply chains and the ability to innovate together. For the French and Indian defence industrial and technological bases, this approach creates the conditions for durable cooperation in support of sovereign, interoperable and future-ready naval capabilities, while contributing to a more structured network of international industrial partnerships.