Prime Minister Narendra Modi jointly inaugurated the global innovation showcase Bharat Innovates 2026 [1] in Nice, France, this week.
The event marks a strategic push to attract global venture capital and deepen cooperation between India and France in the fields of artificial intelligence and digital innovation.
During the visit, Modi met with a group of venture capitalists and investors to discuss the growth of the Indian startup landscape. He said India is a hub for investment and innovation [3], emphasizing that the country's environment is conducive to high-tech growth. The prime minister said, "India is now a major global innovation centre" [1].
The Bharat Innovates 2026 [1] summit serves as a platform to showcase the scale of India's technological advancements to European markets. Modi said the talks with the investors were enriching [3] as he sought to highlight the structural changes in the Indian economy that support entrepreneurs.
French President Emmanuel Macron participated in the inauguration, signaling a strengthening of bilateral ties in the science and technology sectors. The collaboration focuses on creating a pipeline for digital exchange, and shared research between the two nations.
Modi said innovation is embedded in the DNA of India [1]. By positioning the country as a primary destination for venture capital, the Indian government aims to scale domestic startups into global entities through foreign partnerships and capital infusion.
“India is now a major global innovation centre”
The launch of Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice demonstrates India's shift from being a service-provider hub to a product-and-innovation leader. By partnering with France, India is diversifying its tech alliances beyond the U.S., seeking to integrate European capital and AI expertise to accelerate its domestic digital transformation.
