PM Modi France visit: India is country of innovation, says France President Macron at Bharat Innovates

Prime Minister Narendra Modi departs from Nice for an official visit to Slovakia. This will be the first-ever visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Slovakia since its independence in 1993.   Prime Minister will hold talks with Prime Minister Fico, and explore new avenues of cooperation. Prime Minister will also meet President Pellegrini.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday held discussions with French President Emmanuel Macron on a wide range of areas, including AI, startups, trade, infrastructure, mobility and health, the Ministry of External Affairs said. The two of them also exchanged views on key international and regional issues, it said. Modi landed in the French Mediterranean city last night and inaugurated the 'Bharat Innovates' event with Macron.

"A further step to strengthen India-France partnership! PM @narendramodi held bilateral talks with President @EmmanuelMacron where they reviewed the progress in India-France Special Global Strategic Partnership," the ministry's spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said in a post on X.

He further said, "The leaders discussed areas including innovation, trade & investment, sustainability, security, culture and people to people ties." "The meeting resulted in several outcomes in areas of innovation & AI, science & space, startups & fintech, trade & infrastructure, mobility and health among others. The leaders also exchanged views on key international and regional issues," he added.

 Prime Minister Narendra Modi visits Villa Kérylos in Nice, France. French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes him here.

Bilateral meeting between PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron is underway in Nice, France.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi said, "Today, India is undergoing a major transformation in the 21st century. A startup revolution is taking place in the country, where young Indians with a new mindset are working towards solving problems for the benefit of humanity. The very purpose of Bharat Innovates is to take the efforts of our youth to a global stage. IIT Delhi Board Chairman Harish Salve has contributed significantly to organising this event, and I congratulate him and the entire team. A large number of young entrepreneurs here reflect the future of India, the confidence of its youth and the energy of a new India, an India that is emerging not just as a consumer, but as a contributor of solutions. Some are working to transform rural life through AI."

India has emerged not as a consumer of solutions but as a contributor to solutions in the world, said PM Modi in France.

Speaking on India-France relations, at 'Bharat Innovates' inauguration event, PM Narendra Modi said, "This relationship has connection, conviction, innovation, inspiration, shared values and shared vision. Based on the foundation of this relationship, we have together launched new initiatives and guided new ideas in the past few years. We have also made all efforts to find solutions to global challenges. Be it International Solar Alliance, AI-related dialogues, our partnership from security to sustainability - meaning, our two nations have worked together in finding solutions to challenges related to humanity. In February this year, India-France Year of Innovation was started. I am delighed that today we are inaugurating 'Bharat Innovates' with France..."

India's young innovators are finding solutions that can benefit all of humanity, said PM Modi at the Bharat Innovates event in France.

"India's priority is technology for humanity and human-centric innovation. Innovation is in India's DNA," said PM Modi.

At the 'Bharat Innovates' inauguration event, PM Narendra Modi said, "Different countries across the world do trade with each other and also strike strategic partnerships with each other. But there are few relations which are driven by shared vision, besides shared interests. India-France relations is one such tie."

French President Emmanuel Macron said, "It is a long run and says a lot about your determined action, the strength of your country and your leadership. We are very proud to have you (PM Mod) here. India has the demographic dividend. It is a country of 1.4 billion people that has invested heavily in knowledge, research and training, producing as many engineers as Europe and the United States combined — more than one million every year. India is advancing rapidly in research, innovation and frontier technologies, and is emerging as a global innovation leader. If I had to cite one example, the space sector perfectly demonstrates what India can achieve."

French President Emmanuel Macron said, "It is a huge honour, dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to welcome you here in Nice and to open the first-ever Bharat Innovates event outside India. A few months ago in Mumbai, we launched the Year of France-India Innovation. The question was not whether India is innovating, but who will innovate with India. It is an immense honour that you have chosen France to showcase some of India's best startups and innovators, helping build partnerships, connect with venture capitalists and attract talent. A few days ago, you became the longest-serving Prime Minister of India since Independence."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron inaugurated the 'Bharat Innovates' event.

At the 'Bharat Innovates' inauguration event, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, "We are meeting at a moment of uncertainty when the churn in the world of geopolitics is meeting the churn of frontier technology. At such moments, the world seeks trusted and reliable partners. And that is what India brings to the table. We bring the energy of the world's youngest large nation, the finest pool available, and a scale that few can match. In the new India, led by PM Narendra Modi, innovation is now a culture powered by over 230,000 startups. The 120 champions gathered here are just a glimpse of all that India has to offer. To our French partners, I urge you to use this opportunity to build meaningful partnerships. I would invite our French friends to visit, invest in, design in, innovate in and manufacture in India both for the large domestic market and export from India to the rest of the world."

At 'Bharat Innovates' inauguration event, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said, "This year, our relationship was elevated to the level of a special global strategic partnership. In February 2025, PM Modi co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris. In February 2026, President Macron stood besides us as India hosted the AI Impact Summit. Today, 2 leaders reunite again in the beautiful city of Nice, reaffirming their shared vision for a more inclusive and innovative world. The year 2026 is being celebrated as the India-France Year of Innovation, it gives this initiative an appropriate setting."

Prime Minister Narendra Modi met French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice, France. The French President welcomes him with a hug. PM Modi and President Macron will jointly inaugurate the 'Bharat Innovates' event, which will bring together top innovation startups and Venture Capital funds from India, France, and other countries, shortly.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi interacts with top investors and venture capitalists during his visit to France. PM Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron will jointly inaugurate the 'Bharat Innovates' event, which will bring together top innovation startups and Venture Capital funds from India, France, and other countries, here shortly.  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi along  with French President Emmanuel is set to inaugurate Bharat Innovates 2026 during his visit to France. The national initiative aims to identify, mentor, and showcase India's most promising technology ventures from Higher Education Institutions and Centrally Funded Technical Institutes, connecting selected startups with a global network of investors, industry leaders, policymakers, research institutions, and technology partners.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi arrived here in France on Saturday where he is scheduled to hold talks with French President Emmanuel Macron and also attend the G-7 Summit. He was received at the airport by France's Education Minister Edouard Geffray, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space Philippe Baptiste, French Ambassador to India Thierry Mathou, Nice Mayor Eric Ciotti among other dignitaries.