Key facts
- Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Nice, France.
- The leaders signed 19 agreements, including an India-France Innovation Roadmap.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron signed 19 agreements during their meeting in Nice, France. Key pacts included an India-France Innovation Roadmap and the expansion of UPI services in France, alongside discussions on AI, clean energy, and defense cooperation.
The agreements signed between India and France signify a deepening of strategic ties, particularly in technology and finance, with the expansion of UPI in France potentially facilitating greater economic exchange. The focus on AI, clean energy, and defense cooperation highlights shared priorities and a commitment to collaborative innovation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron met in Nice, France, signing 19 agreements that included an India-France Innovation Roadmap and the expansion of India's Unified Payments Interface (UPI) services in France. The leaders held delegation-level talks, discussing cooperation across various sectors such as artificial intelligence, clean energy, defense, space, and civil nuclear energy.
Modi, who arrived in Nice for the G-7 Summit, also inaugurated Bharat Innovates 2026 with Macron, an event showcasing over 120 Indian startups. He met with investors and startup leaders, including Ritesh Agarwal and Ronnie Screwvala, prior to the event. Modi articulated India's tech philosophy as "technology for humanity," underpinning its digital revolution and "AI for all" vision.
Discussions on defense collaboration focused on intensifying co-design, co-development, and co-production of platforms and advanced technologies. In the space sector, both leaders explored furthering cooperation in human spaceflight and space situational awareness, alongside expanding private sector involvement. For civil nuclear energy, the potential for collaboration on small and advanced modular reactors was noted.
President Macron shared his engagement with the visit on social media, referencing a popular song to summarize the discussions and highlighting France's talent and energy. This meeting marked the first between the two leaders since the elevation of India-France ties to a 'Special Global Strategic Partnership' earlier in the year.
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