French President Emmanuel Macron arrived in Mumbai on 17 February 2026 at the invitation of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to participate in the Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit 2026. Following bilateral talks at Lok Bhavan in Mumbai, the two leaders announced the elevation of India–France relations to a “Special Global Strategic Partnership” — a significant step that upgrades the existing Strategic Partnership that the two countries have maintained since 1998. Both leaders also established an annual Foreign Ministers’ Comprehensive Dialogue to regularly review progress under the partnership.
This is President Macron’s fourth visit to India. It follows Prime Minister Modi’s visit to France in February 2025, where both leaders co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris.
The two leaders jointly inaugurated the 2026 India–France Year of Innovation, a programme that will feature high-impact collaborations across sectors including artificial intelligence, clean energy, space, healthcare, cyberspace, and research and education. Both leaders also launched the India–France Innovation Forum in Mumbai, where President Macron announced new incentives for Indian tech start-ups to collaborate with French counterparts, particularly in green technology and space. France has set a target of welcoming 30,000 Indian students by 2030.
Defence and Security
Defence produced the most concrete outcomes of the visit. A Joint Advanced Technology Development Group was constituted to co-develop emerging and critical technologies for military use. Both leaders virtually inaugurated the H-125 helicopter final assembly line at Vemagal, Karnataka. A joint venture with Bharat Electronics Limited to manufacture HAMMER missiles in India was formalised, and both sides agreed to deepen cooperation in fighter aircraft manufacturing and combat aircraft engines.
Energy
Both leaders agreed to deepen cooperation across the nuclear energy value chain, from research to industrial deployment. The two sides agreed to explore joint research and development on Small and Advanced Modular Reactors (SMR/AMR) between France’s CEA and India’s Department of Atomic Energy. They also agreed to explore cooperation between their respective nuclear regulatory bodies.
Both sides renewed their Memorandum of Understanding on renewable energy cooperation and committed to working together on decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors. They agreed to work towards establishing a European office of the International Solar Alliance in Paris, which would expand the ISA’s global reach.
Artificial Intelligence
Building on the joint AI Action Summit in Paris in 2025, both leaders committed to a secure and trustworthy AI framework that serves the public interest, democratising AI resources globally and bridging the AI divide between developed and developing nations. The India–France Innovation Network was formally launched to connect start-ups, businesses, researchers, and incubators from both countries on a single digital platform.
Other Important Areas
A bilateral tax treaty amendment was signed to eliminate double taxation. The India–France CEO Forum was held to accelerate business partnerships in aerospace, energy, logistics, and technology. A Joint Declaration of Intent on railway cooperation was also signed, covering high-speed rail development, construction technologies, and manufacturing, including hydrogen-powered trains.
India confirmed its participation in France’s International Space Summit in July 2026. On cyber issues, both sides agreed to hold the next bilateral cyber dialogue in 2026 and committed to coordinating at the UN on the application of international law in cyberspace.
President Macron invited Prime Minister Modi to the G7 Summit in France in 2026 and to the Africa Forward Summit in Nairobi in May 2026.
The visit concluded with President Macron paying tribute to the victims of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel.
