French General Dupleix formed alliances with Murzapha Jung in the Deccan and Chanda Sahib in the Carnatic Wars, engaging in conflict against Robert Clive of the East India Company.

[4] Meanwhile, the French military adventurer and mercenary, Benoît de Boigne gained renown in India for his service under the Marathas, whom he assisted in numerous battles against the Rajputs.

[6] In 1782, Louis XVI sealed an alliance with the Maratha Peshwa Madhav Rao Narayan, prompting Bussy to move his troops to Ile de France (Mauritius) and later contribute to French efforts in India in 1783.

While the British established authority over the Madras Presidency (covering the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu), France retained control of Pondicherry, Karikal, Yanam, and Mahé, as well as maintaining a foothold in Chandannagar, now in West Bengal.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh's military comprised over 2000 French soldiers, three of whom rose to the rank of generals and played key roles in the modernization of the Khalsa Army.

[22] Marshal Ferdinand Foch, the French Commander at the Battle of Neuve Chapelle (which resulted in 4,200 Indian casualties), acknowledged the contribution of troops from India and said: "Return to your homes in the distant, sun-bathed East and proclaim how your countrymen drenched with their blood the cold northern land of France and Flanders, how they delivered it by their ardent spirit from the firm grip of a determined enemy; tell all India that we shall watch over their graves with the devotion due to all our dead.

In response to the June 1940 appeal by Charles de Gaulle, Pondicherry became the first French territory to abandon the collaborationist Vichy regime and join Free France.

[35] On 30 November 2015, Prime Minister Narendra Modi travelled to France for a 2-day visit to attend the COP 21 2015 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Paris.

[59][60] Leading Indian newspapers published editorials lauding successful bilateral cooperation in the domains of science and technology, aerospace, nuclear energy, defence and counter-terrorism.

"[67] (...) "Hollande attaches value to the personal rapport he has developed with Modi, recognises the dynamism he is imparting to the Indian economy and believes in the growing affinity between the two countries.

Science and technology cooperation, deep-rooted cultural ties, and a historically francophile literary and fine arts community in India have provided solid foundations for the strategic relationship.

They discussed geostrategic challenges, their respective strategies for a free, open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, and prospects for cooperation in the region, especially in the context of the COVID public health crisis.

[95] In February 2021, France announced that a French Rubis-class nuclear attack submarine, Emeraude, had successfully concluded a passage through the South China Sea to prove its capacity for the connection with Australian, American and Japanese strategic partners.

[97] This included amongst others maritime security, humanitarian aid and disaster relief, blue economy, protection of marine global commons, combatting illegal fishing, and cooperation in multilateral fora.

[97] On 30 March 2021, French Navy's amphibious assault helicopter carrier Tonnerre and escort frigate Surcouf arrived at the Kochi port in Kerala, India, ahead of a joint naval exercise with the four Quad member countries.

The 16th session of the Joint Committee for Economic and Technical Cooperation, held on 23–25 June 2010 in Paris at the ministerial level, addressed issues related to commerce and trade.

DCNS is building six Scorpène submarines of the Kalvari class, which will be armed with SM.39 Exocet anti-ship missiles, under a technology transfer agreement at Mazagon Docks in Mumbai.

In April 2015, the inabilities to conclude negotiations on contractual obligations[100] led the Modi government to transform the acquisition into a G2G procurement for 36 aircraft in flyaway condition, intended to equip three squadrons of the Indian Air Force.

Defense white-papers published in OECD countries show that the use of combat and reconnaissance pilotless vehicles, like the flight-tested[110] Dassault nEUROn and Northrop Grumman X-47B UAVs or the Boeing X-37 robotic spacecraft will become widespread in the years ahead.

The biennial event is attended by academics from France and India who lead multidisciplinary training workshops, addressing theoretical and methodological issues in social science research.

Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and its French counterpart Centre National de Etudes Spatiales (CNES) have a history of cooperation and collaboration spanning about four decades.

As part of the Silver Jubilee celebrations, a number of programmes have been envisaged; these include holding of seminars, organising science quiz in schools and screening of documentary films.

French authorities have provided land for extending the Maison de l‘Inde in France, which will contribute to augmenting accommodation facilities for Indian students in Paris.

Namaste France was a comprehensive presentation of Indian culture, which included art, music, dance, fashion, tourism, films, literature, and also business and education in both its traditional and contemporary forms.

Bonjour India provides a platform for enduring partnerships, highlighting Indo-French innovation and creativity across the themes of Smart Citizen, High Mobility, and Go Green.

Economic migration from France has resulted in the rise of skilled French expatriates in the urban population centres of Bangalore, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune, Mumbai and New Delhi.

In France, Franco-Pondichériens face racial profiling and discrimination, due to their South Asian or mixed-race ethnicity, and are perceived either as second-class citizens or economic immigrants.

[147] India's tourism boom has turned Pondicherry into a popular travel destination and slowed the population decline of Franco-Pondichériens who find more business and work opportunities locally than having to repatriate to Europe.

[154] Social studies conducted by French researchers are prone to emphasise on the lacunae of India's economy rather than achievements and improvements in the sphere of poverty reduction, health-care and education among others.

French media portray India in an unfavourable light by focussing principally on events connected to crimes, corruption, inequalities, poverty, ethnic and religious strife, and so on.