Macron's Mumbai Visit Boosts India-France Ties with AI & Innovation Focus

The French President and First Lady Brigitte Macron were received by Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Mumbai airport.

"Towards a stronger India-France strategic partnership! Warm welcome to President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic. He was warmly received by the Governor of Maharashtra and Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, at the Mumbai airport. During the visit, PM Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meeting with President Emmanuel Macron. Both leaders will launch Year of Innovation 2026. The visit will impart further momentum to the vibrant India-France strategic partnership," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

This visit marks Macron's fourth visit to the country at the invitation of PM Narendra Modi.

This visit signals sustained momentum in the India-France strategic partnership, with a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) cooperation and emerging technologies.

According to the French Embassy, this engagement marks another significant chapter in the expanding ties between New Delhi and Paris. The visit comes against the backdrop of a steadily deepening partnership across defence, space, civil nuclear energy, climate action, and education.

This trajectory began with Macron's first visit in 2018, followed by his attendance at the 2023 G20 Summit and his 2024 State Visit as the Chief Guest for the 75th Republic Day.

During that milestone, the two leaders declared 2026 as the India-France Year of Innovation, a forward-looking initiative they will jointly inaugurate in Mumbai during this trip. As part of the current itinerary, PM Modi and President Macron will hold wide-ranging discussions on February 17 in Mumbai to further strengthen bilateral cooperation under the Horizon 2047 Roadmap.

The leaders will also exchange views on regional and global issues, including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific, reflecting a growing strategic convergence.

Following their Mumbai engagements, the delegation will travel to Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Held at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20, this event marks the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South.

The India AI Impact Summit is designed as a five-day programme anchored on three foundational pillars, or "Sutras": People, Planet, and Progress.

The participation of the French President underscores the importance both nations attach to emerging technologies, building on PM Modi's co-chairing of the AI Action Summit with Macron in Paris in February 2025.

- ANI