Sitharaman in France: Trade, ITER, Cybersecurity on Agenda

The India-EU Free Trade Agreement, signed on January 27, 2026, is expected to lift trade further. A separate memorandum of understanding between the Reserve Bank of India and the Banque de France, signed in March 2026, commits both central banks to regular high-level dialogues and joint projects.

Sitharaman will visit the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor project at Cadarache, one of the largest international scientific collaborations in nuclear fusion energy, involving over 30 partner countries including India and France. She will also tour Campus Cyber, France's national hub for cybersecurity innovation and research. The government said the visit will help exchange best practices in cyber resilience.

The finance minister will meet Renaud Muselier, president of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, to discuss cooperation in investment and clean energy. She will conclude with an interaction with the Indian diaspora in France.

The visit fits the government's push to deepen economic ties with France ahead of the EU FTA's implementation. The RBI and Banque de France signed an MoU in March 2026, committing to high-level dialogues and joint central-bank projects.