Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his visit to France from February 10-12, where he co-hosted the AI Action Summit with French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Tuesday.
Both leaders were engaged in the dialogues where they covered various domains of the India-France strategic partnership. The two leaders reviewed cooperation in the strategic areas of defence, civil nuclear energy, and space. They also discussed ways to strengthen collaboration in the fields of technology and innovation.
Prime Minister and President Macron also expressed their satisfaction at the ongoing collaboration in the fields of health, culture, tourism, education, and people-to-people ties.
This area of partnership underscores greater relevance in the backdrop of the just-ended AI Action Summit and the upcoming India-France Year of Innovation in 2026.
The leaders also proclaimed for fostering trade and investment ties and, in this regard, welcomed the report of the 14th India-France CEOs Forum.
A joint statement was released highlighting the way forward for India-France ties. Ten outcomes in the areas of technology and innovation, civil nuclear energy, triangular cooperation, environment, culture, and people-to-people relations were also finalised.
And both leaders portrayed their commitment to further deepening involvement in the Indo-Pacific and in global forums and initiatives.
Technology and Innovation, S&T
India France’s Declaration on Artificial Intelligence (AI), the launch of the logo for the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, the Letter of Intent between the Department of Science and Technology (DST), the Government of India, and the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) France to establish the Indo-French Centre for the Digital Sciences, and the Agreement for hosting 10 Indian start-ups at the French start-up incubator Station F were ratified in this field.
Civil Nuclear Energy
The Declaration of Intent on the establishment of a partnership on Advanced Modular Reactors and Small Modular Reactors, the Renewal of the MoU between the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), India, and the Commissariat à l’Energie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives of France (CAE), France, concerning cooperation with the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP), and the Implementing Agreement between the DAE of India and the CEA of France concerning cooperation between GCNEP India and the Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN) France were sealed by both nations.
Join Declaration of Intent on Triangular Development Cooperation, Joint Inauguration of India’s Consulate in Marseille, and Declaration of Intent between The Ministry for the Ecological Transition, Biodiversity, Forests, Marine Affairs, and Fisheries and The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change in the Field of Environment were taken in the fields of Indo-Pacific/Sustainable Development, Culture/People-to-People, and Environment, respectively, and were signed.
In a special gesture demonstrating the personal affinity between the two leaders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Emmanuel Macron flew together from Paris to Marseille in the French Presidential Aircraft on Tuesday.
They held discussions on the full spectrum of bilateral relations and key global and regional issues. This was followed by delegation-level talks after arrival in Marseille, where both leaders jointly inaugurated India’s new consulate in France.
The leaders reiterated their strong commitment to the India-France Strategic Partnership, which has steadily evolved into a multifaceted relationship over the past 25 years.
Following this visit, PM Modi will visit the United States on February 12-13 and hold a meeting with US President Donald Trump and other senior leaders of the US administration.
