Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron jointly inaugurated "Bharat Innovates 2026" in Paris during February 2026 [1, 2].

The initiative marks the start of the India-France Year of Innovation [1]. By aligning the two nations' technological ecosystems, the partnership seeks to integrate Indian deep-tech startups into European markets and attract French capital to India's growing tech sector [3, 5].

The three-day event [3] featured 120 startups [1] and more than 15 premier institutions [1]. This visit marked the seventh official trip to France for Modi [4]. During the event, the leaders held bilateral talks and engaged in investor outreach to position India as a global hub for innovation [2, 3].

Modi said that India's growth is driven by talent, scale, stability, and reforms [2]. The outreach focused on the strategic necessity of cross-border collaboration to solve complex global challenges through technology [3, 5].

Macron emphasized the shifting perception of India's role in the global economy. "The question is no longer whether India innovates — it is 'who will innovate with India?'" Macron said [5].

The collaboration aims to move the bilateral relationship beyond traditional defense and aerospace ties. By focusing on startups and academic institutions, the two governments intend to create a sustainable pipeline of joint research and development projects [3, 5].

“"The question is no longer whether India innovates — it is 'who will innovate with India?'"”

This strategic pivot toward a 'Year of Innovation' signals a transition in the India-France partnership from a buyer-seller relationship in defense to a co-development model in technology. By leveraging India's scale and France's research infrastructure, both nations are attempting to reduce their technological dependencies on other global superpowers while fostering a new corridor for deep-tech venture capital.