New Delhi: The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between India and France on cooperation in the field of digital technologies.

The cabinet has approved the signing of the MoU between the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology and France's Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industrial and Digital Sovereignty.

The MoU intends to promote closer cooperation and exchange of information pertaining to digital technologies and will mutually support each participant's goal to promote access to digital technology in their country in accordance with the MoU, as per a release issued by the cabinet.

Through the MoU, both G2G and B2B bilateral Cooperation in the field of digital technologies will be enhanced. The MoU envisages improved collaboration leading to employment opportunities in the field of IT.

The cooperation under this MoU will start on the date of its signature by both participants and will last five years.

MeitY has been mandated to promote international cooperation in the emerging and frontier areas of Information Technology under bilateral and regional frameworks of cooperation.

In its endeavour to foster international cooperation in the field of digital technologies, MeitY has entered into MoUs/Agreements with counterpart organizations/agencies. In this changing paradigm, there is an imminent need for exploring business opportunities and attracting investment in the digital sector through such mutual cooperation, as per the official release.

India and France are long-standing strategic partners in the Indo-European region. The two countries are committed to nurturing a thriving digital ecosystem and building collaboration that empowers their citizens and ensures their full participation in the digital century.

Based on the Indo-French Road map on cyber security and digital technology announced in 2019, India and France are pursuing ambitious bilateral cooperation on advanced digital technologies, particularly in the fields of supercomputing, cloud computing, Artificial Intelligence and quantum technologies, including in the framework of the Global Partnership on Artificial Intelligence (GPAI), according to the release.

Meanwhile, the Indian Space Association (ISpA) and the French Aerospace Industries Association (GIFAS) have signed a MoU aiming to enhance the understanding of space industry capabilities and increase awareness of business opportunities in France and India at the second chapter of Indian Space Conclave 2023 in the national capital, Indian Space Association said in a press release.

The first day was dedicated to India-France collaboration in the space sector. The event was attended by representatives of the French and Indian space industry leaders, startups and government officials.

The collaboration will help foster sustainable growth, promote innovation and advocate the adoption of new technologies in France and India's space industries.