Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold wide-ranging talks with French President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on February 17, as India and France move to strengthen their long-standing strategic partnership and expand cooperation in new areas such as artificial intelligence and innovation.
The two leaders are expected to review the progress of the Horizon 2047 roadmap, which lays out an ambitious long-term vision for bilateral ties. Discussions will cover defence, space, civil nuclear energy, climate action, high technology and connectivity, along with regional and global developments, particularly in the Indo-Pacific.
Following the talks, both sides will exchange several agreements and issue a joint press statement. A major highlight of the visit will be the launch of the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, a programme aimed at deepening collaboration in research, startups, education and emerging technologies while promoting stronger people-to-people links.
In Mumbai, Modi and Macron will attend the India-France Innovation Forum, which will bring together business leaders, researchers, entrepreneurs and policymakers from both countries. They will also participate in a cultural event at the Gateway of India, underlining the growing cultural connect between the two nations.
President Macron, who arrived in India on February 16, will later travel with the Prime Minister to New Delhi to take part in the global AI Impact Summit. The summit is expected to see participation from world leaders, technology experts and industry representatives, and is being viewed as a major platform for shaping the future of responsible and inclusive artificial intelligence.
This is Macron’s fourth visit to India and comes soon after Modi’s trip to France last year, reflecting the steady momentum in high-level political engagement.
