India and France on Sunday unveiled an “Innovation Roadmap 2030”, agreed to establish a joint AI working group and set a target of doubling bilateral trade within five years. The two sides also reviewed progress in defence co-production, civil nuclear cooperation, space situational awareness and mobility of skilled professionals.
These were among the key outcomes of the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice.
A statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two leaders expressed satisfaction with the “excellent growth” and depth of bilateral defence cooperation across domains.
At a press briefing later, “They agreed to further intensify it with a focus on co-design, co-development and co-production of defence platforms and advanced technologies,” the MEA said.
Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, when asked about the ‘Make in India’ component in India’s planned procurement of 114 Rafale fighter jets, said Modi had consistently stressed the need for greater localisation.
“The PM, in all his meetings today, emphasised that we need greater focus on Make in India. We need co-development, co-production and co-manufacturing in India. We want more and more to be done in India; that is our preference,” Misri said.
He added that discussions were not limited to Rafale jets but covered other defence platforms as well. “We talked about how we need more local content in manufacturing and research,” he said.
India and France also agreed to establish a high-level mechanism to double bilateral trade within five years. The two leaders called for the early implementation of the India-EU Free Trade Agreement and agreed to strengthen supply-chain resilience, particularly in critical minerals.
The two countries adopted the “Innovation Roadmap 2030” to provide long-term direction to the partnership. To expand cooperation in artificial intelligence, they agreed to create a Joint India-France AI Working Group.
Several MoUs were signed, including those for establishing a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics and Allied Sectors at NSTI Kanpur, expanding the use of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) in France, incubating an additional 10 Indian startups and setting up a Centre of Digital Sciences.
Letters of Intent were also exchanged between the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and France’s Health Data Hub, and between ISRO and CNES for cooperation in microgravity research and human space exploration.
The two sides discussed enhancing space situational awareness and expanding private-sector collaboration in the space sector. On civil nuclear energy, Modi and Macron noted that India’s SHANTI Act creates new opportunities for cooperation, including on small and advanced modular reactors, the MEA said.
To facilitate the mobility of talent and students, the two countries agreed to expand the mutual recognition of educational qualifications.
Earlier in the day, Modi and Macron jointly inaugurated “Bharat Innovates 2026”, a three-day event bringing together Indian deep-tech startups, innovators, researchers and investors with global innovation funds and networks.
The event showcases India’s leading deep-tech capabilities through 120 startups and more than 20 Institutes of Excellence across 13 critical technology sectors. More than 350 investors and venture capitalists from around the world are participating.
Highlighting India’s startup ecosystem, Modi spoke of the transformative potential of artificial intelligence and satellite technology for rural development, advanced manufacturing for sustainable living and green hydrogen, battery technologies and electric mobility for clean growth.
