PM’s Europe Visit Begins in Nice, with tech and bilateral ties in focus
The Prime Minister departed for a multi-city Europe visit covering Nice, Evian, and Paris, France, as well as Bratislava, Slovakia, from June 13–18, 2026.
In Nice, a bilateral summit with French President Emmanuel Macron was held — the first summit since the bilateral relationship was elevated to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" in February 2026.
Both leaders jointly inaugurated "Bharat Innovates," a new innovation platform bringing together Indian deep-tech startups, investors, and research institutions, coinciding with the India-France Year of Innovation 2026.
India participated in the 52nd G7 Summit in Evian (June 15–17) as a partner country, marking its 13th appearance at the forum; invited partners included Brazil, India, Kenya, South Korea, and Syria.
The visit concluded with attendance at VivaTech 2026 in Paris — Europe's largest technology and startup event — where India held the largest national pavilion.
India-France Strategic Partnership: History and Evolution
India and France established their Strategic Partnership on January 26, 1998, during a state visit by French President Jacques Chirac to India — making it the first strategic partnership India signed with any Western country. France notably did not join criticism of India following the Pokhran-II nuclear tests later that year in May 1998, cementing a foundation of mutual trust. Over subsequent decades, three pillars emerged: civil nuclear cooperation, space cooperation, and defence cooperation. A landmark Civil Nuclear Deal was signed in 2008, and in 2016 a €7.8 billion government-to-government contract was signed for 36 Rafale combat aircraft.
In 2023, on the 25th anniversary of the partnership, India and France adopted the "Horizon 2047 Roadmap" — a vision document structured around three pillars: Partnership for Security and Sovereignty, Partnership for the Planet, and Partnership for the People — charting cooperation until 2047, which will mark both 100 years of Indian independence and 50 years of the strategic partnership. In February 2026, the relationship was further elevated to a "Special Global Strategic Partnership" during President Macron's visit to India for the AI Impact Summit.
Key Details
- Strategic Partnership established: January 26, 1998 (first with any Western country)
- Bilateral trade has more than doubled over the last decade to $15.81 billion
- Horizon 2047 Roadmap adopted in 2023; elevated to Special Global Strategic Partnership in 2026
- Rafale deal (36 aircraft, €7.8 billion) signed in September 2016
The Nice summit represents the first high-level engagement since the Special Global Strategic Partnership designation, making it a structurally significant diplomatic moment that builds on nearly three decades of bilateral institutional architecture.
India and the G7: Partner Country Status
The G7 (Group of Seven) comprises Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States, along with the European Union as a permanent participant. It is an informal forum of major industrialised democracies that coordinates on economic policy, security, and global governance. India is not a member but participates regularly as an "outreach" or "partner" country, a status that allows India to shape global norm-setting on issues such as AI governance, climate finance, and development financing without being bound by the forum's internal commitments.
India's consistent participation — 13 appearances as of the 2026 Evian Summit — reflects its strategy of "multi-alignment," engaging with Western-led groupings while maintaining independent foreign policy positions. India has used G7 outreach sessions to voice Global South perspectives, particularly on debt relief, green transition financing, and technology access.
Key Details
- G7 members: Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, UK, USA + EU
- 52nd G7 Summit held in Evian-les-Bains, France, June 15–17, 2026
- India's 13th appearance as partner/outreach country at G7
- India's stated objective: voice Global South's aspirations at the forum
The Evian Summit provided India a multilateral platform alongside the bilateral summit, allowing India to engage both France specifically and G7 countries collectively on technology governance, climate finance, and geopolitical stability.
India-France Year of Innovation 2026
The India-France Year of Innovation 2026 was jointly inaugurated by President Macron and the Prime Minister during the AI Impact Summit in Mumbai in February 2026. It is a year-long bilateral initiative featuring events in both countries across sectors including artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, defence technology, digital art, and sustainability. The Bharat Innovates platform launched in Nice is a flagship outcome, as is India's AI Country Partner designation at VivaTech 2026.
Key Details
- Jointly inaugurated: February 17, 2026, Mumbai
- Sectors covered: AI, cybersecurity, digital art, defence technology, sustainability
- VivaTech 2026: India is the AI Country Partner and holds the largest national pavilion
- India is presenting the MANAV Vision framework for AI governance at these events
The Europe visit operationalised the Year of Innovation by translating the February 2026 declarations into concrete platforms — Bharat Innovates in Nice and VivaTech in Paris — signalling the move from diplomatic announcement to institutional implementation.
- India-France Strategic Partnership established: January 26, 1998
- Horizon 2047 Roadmap: adopted 2023; three pillars (Security, Planet, People)
- Special Global Strategic Partnership designation: February 2026
- Bilateral trade: $15.81 billion (more than doubled over the last decade)
- 52nd G7 Summit: Evian-les-Bains, June 15–17, 2026; India's 13th G7 outreach appearance
- Rafale deal: 36 aircraft, €7.8 billion, signed September 2016
- India-France Year of Innovation 2026: jointly inaugurated February 17, 2026