Charting the Deep: Exercise Varuna Cements Indo-French Naval Ties

The annual naval drill reveals the growing strategic embrace between New Delhi and Paris in the Indian Ocean.

For as long as the Indian Navy has sailed the high seas, it has invoked the blessing of Varuna, the ancient Vedic god of the oceans. Shanno Varunah (‘May Lord Varuna be tranquil’) is its enduring motto, a quiet plea for calm waters in an age of tempestuous geopolitics. It is fitting, then, that the navy’s most significant diplomatic exercise with France bears his name.

Varuna, which started in 1993 and was officially named so in 2001, has evolved into a sophisticated joint operation that strengthens India and France’s ability to work together in high-stakes maritime environments. Initially limited to simple drills like replenishment-at-sea and joint navigation, it has now expanded to include complex war games, anti-submarine warfare, air defence and cyber warfare simulations. The presence of the Indian Navy’s INS Vikrant and the French Navy’s Charles de Gaulle - one conventionally powered, the other nuclear - underscored the increasing interoperability of these two maritime powers.

At its core, Exercise Varuna is about refining operational coordination, but it also serves as a diplomatic tool in an increasingly contested maritime landscape. The Indian Ocean, once considered a relatively stable theatre, is now a hotbed of strategic competition. China’s growing naval footprint, through its Belt and Road Initiative and its string of military outposts, has raised alarms in both New Delhi and Paris. France, with its overseas territories of Réunion and Mayotte, is the only European power with a direct stake in the region. For India, maritime security in the Indian Ocean is an existential necessity; for France, it is an extension of its global strategic interests. This alignment of priorities makes their naval cooperation more than just symbolic.

The latest iteration, Varuna 2025, held in March, was among the most ambitious yet. The exercise featured the formidable aircraft carriers INS Vikrant and France’s nuclear-powered Charles de Gaulle, accompanied by a fleet of destroyers, frigates, and submarines. In the skies, the Rafale-M fighters of the French Navy locked wings with India’s MiG-29Ks, executing precision air-defence drills, while below the surface, an Indian submarine played a high-stakes cat-and-mouse game with anti-submarine frigates from both navies. Anti-submarine warfare exercises featured Indian Kalvari-class submarines and French anti-submarine frigates, further honing the ability to detect, track and neutralize underwater threats. As piracy, illegal fishing and maritime terrorism continue to evolve, such drills prepare both navies for real-world contingencies.

The significance of Varuna extends beyond the tactical. The exercise has become a barometer of the Indo-French strategic partnership, reinforcing their shared vision for a ‘rules-based maritime order’ which, in the context of rising tensions in the Indo-Pacific, carries unmistakable geopolitical weight. Both countries have been vocal about their commitment to maintaining stability in the region where China’s growing naval assertiveness has alarmed smaller nations and drawn the attention of global powers.

India’s naval doctrine, historically oriented toward coastal defence, has undergone a dramatic shift. With ambitions to field a 200-ship, 500-aircraft, and 24-submarine force, the Indian Navy has embraced an increasingly blue-water posture, projecting power across the Indian Ocean and beyond. A key component of this expansion is Swavalamban 2.0, a program aimed at boosting indigenous defence production, a necessity for a country seeking to wean itself off foreign military dependence.

The French Navy, meanwhile, brings to the partnership its technological prowess and expeditionary experience. The Charles de Gaulle, the only nuclear-powered aircraft carrier outside of the U.S. fleet, serves as the backbone of France’s global naval operations. With deployments spanning the Mediterranean, the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, France has positioned itself as a pivotal actor in maritime security, bridging the Atlantic and Indo-Pacific worlds. Its longstanding cooperation with India is not just about interoperability but also about shaping the balance of power in a region where strategic alliances are being redrawn.

For both navies, Varuna is a statement of intent. The increasingly complex drills reflect not only an evolution in military capability but an acknowledgment of their shared responsibilities in safeguarding critical sea lanes. For all their differences in scale and doctrine, the Indian and French navies share a fundamental responsibility in ensuring the stability of the Indian Ocean and the broader Indo-Pacific. They recognize that maritime security is no longer the domain of solitary actors but of coalitions built on trust and interoperability.

Moreover, Paris has emerged as one of New Delhi’s most reliable defence partners, with high-profile deals such as the acquisition of Rafale jets and Scorpène-class submarines. The two countries are also exploring deeper cooperation in space, cyber security, and defence technology transfers. As India recalibrates its foreign policy to balance ties between the West and its own regional priorities, France stands out as a key European partner willing to engage on India’s terms.

Amid this shifting landscape, France’s presence as a resident power in the Indian Ocean adds a European dimension to the evolving security architecture. For India, partnerships like Varuna offer a way to enhance its maritime deterrence while maintaining strategic autonomy. Jointmanship at sea is no longer just a show of force but a necessary rehearsal for an unpredictable future.

(The author is a retired naval aviation officer and a geopolitical and defence analyst. Views personal.)