Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron held wide-ranging deliberations during which they also decided to create an annual defence dialogue at the ministerial level to explore ways to further deepen defence and strategic ties.
The two countries signed a pact on exchange and reciprocal protection of classified or protected information which came in the backdrop of the Indian government refusing to divulge details of the multi-billion dollar Indo-French Rafale fighter jet deal.
He said space agencies of both countries will have joint monitoring mechanism for developments in the maritime sphere, while navies of the two nations will share intelligence and call their respective military bases for any requirement.
Separately, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman and her French counterpart Florence Parly held talks during which detailed discussions on specific projects including on the Scorpene submarine programme for the Indian Navy was discussed.
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It said Modi and Macron noted with satisfaction that the "on-schedule" progress in the implementation of acquisition related agreements, including the Rafale aircraft deal and the construction of six Scorpene submarines in India, in collaboration with French shipbuilder Naval Group.
"They looked forward to continue their discussions to expand and deepen the ongoing defence manufacturing partnerships," the joint statement said.
The Indo-French agreement on reciprocal logistics support for armed forces came nearly two years after India signed a similar pact with the US on use of each other's land, air and naval bases.
"The agreement is symbolic of the strategic depth and maturity reached in India-France defence ties," the joint statement said.
The two sides inked the pact amid China's growing assertiveness in the Indian Ocean and the Pacific region.
Referring to maritime security cooperation, Modi and Macron reiterated that it will be crucial in order to maintain the safety of international sea lanes for unimpeded commerce and communications.
He said the pact on reciprocal logistic support between the armed forces is a "golden step" in defence relations.
Noting that defence cooperation between the two countries now has a "new significance," Macron talked about the Scorpene submarine project for the Indian Navy and the fighter jet deal for the Air Force.
"India had made a sovereign decision in this respect (Rafale fighter jet) and we are monitoring the progress in the field. We very much want to continue the programme. It is a long-term contract which is mutually beneficial. I personally consider it as the heart of the strategic partnership," Macron said.
The joint statement said both sides also emphasised the importance of the joint military exercises and affirmed their intention to enhance the level of the exercises.
It said both sides acknowledged that the Make-in-India initiative offers a valuable opportunity for Indian and French defence enterprises to enter into co-development and co-production projects in the defence sector, including through transfer of technologies.
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