Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday jointly inaugurated the Bharat Innovates 2026 conclave in Nice, bringing together startups, innovators, venture capital funds and academic institutions from India, France and other countries, as the two nations seek to deepen cooperation in technology, innovation and emerging sectors.The three-day event, being held from June 14-16, is a key initiative under the India-France Year of Innovation and aims to connect Indian innovators with global investors, industry leaders and research institutions.More than 120 Indian deep-tech startups and over 15 higher education and research institutions, including IITs, are participating.Addressing the gathering, PM Modi said India-France ties go beyond conventional trade and strategic cooperation.“Different countries engage in trade with one another and also build strategic partnerships. However, there are some relationships that are driven not only by shared interests but also by a shared vision. The India-France relationship is one such example,” the Prime Minister said.He added that the partnership reflects “innovation and inspiration, shared values and a common vision” and has led to new initiatives and solutions to global challenges.“Innovation is in India’s DNA”, PM Modi further said.
Macron praises India’s innovation ecosystem
French President Macron described it as an honour to host the first Bharat Innovates event outside India and congratulated Modi on becoming India’s longest-serving Prime Minister since Independence.“The question was not whether India is innovating, but who will innovate with India,” Macron said, adding that France was proud to host some of India’s leading startups and innovators.Highlighting India’s technological achievements, Macron pointed to the success of the Chandrayaan-3 mission, saying it demonstrated India’s innovation, execution and industrial capabilities.“India is advancing rapidly in research, innovation and frontier technologies, and is emerging as a global innovation leader,” he said.Macron also stressed that India and France share a “true partnership” in critical sectors such as artificial intelligence and climate change, while noting there is scope to expand cooperation in civil nuclear energy, including Small Modular Reactors.
Innovation at centre of strategic partnership
Commerce and industry minister Piyush Goyal said the event comes at a time when geopolitical shifts and technological transformation are reshaping the global landscape.“We are meeting at a moment of uncertainty when the churn in the world of geopolitics is meeting the churn of frontier technology,” Goyal said.He highlighted India’s startup ecosystem, saying innovation has become a culture in a country powered by more than 230,000 startups. Goyal also invited French businesses to “visit, invest in, design in, innovate in and manufacture in India”.The conclave is expected to showcase innovations in advanced computing, semiconductors, space technology, defence, biotechnology, healthcare and climate solutions, as per ANI.
Part of wider France visit
Ahead of the inauguration, PM Modi interacted with venture capitalists, global investors and innovation ecosystem leaders, including OYO founder Ritesh Agarwal and entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala.The Nice visit also includes the first bilateral summit between PM Modi and Macron since India and France elevated their ties earlier this year to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership”.The two leaders are expected to review progress made since February and discuss future cooperation across strategic and technological sectors.PM Modi arrived in France on Saturday and will later travel to Slovakia before returning to France for the G7 Summit in Evian and engagements in Paris.
