India is striving to become a key innovation partner globally and enhance cooperation in emerging technologies, as stated by Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal. Speaking at the inauguration of the Bharat Innovates summit in Nice, France, Goyal emphasized the summit’s goal of accelerating India’s innovation ecosystem on a global scale and establishing India as a reliable innovation collaborator worldwide.
Highlighting the significance of the India-France Year of Innovation in 2026, Goyal emphasized the need to solidify efforts to position India as a leading innovation partner. He acknowledged the current geopolitical and technological transformations, underscoring the strategic partnership between India and France, which was recently upgraded to a Special Global Strategic Partnership.
Goyal mentioned the collaborative efforts between India and France in shaping global dialogues on innovation and artificial intelligence. He referenced Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s participation in the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025 and French President Emmanuel Macron’s involvement in the AI Impact Summit in India in February 2026. Goyal encouraged French partners to engage in meaningful collaborations, inviting them to invest, design, innovate, and manufacture in India for both the domestic market and global exports.
The Bharat Innovates summit, jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Modi and French President Macron, serves as a platform for startups, investors, entrepreneurs, and policymakers from India, France, and other nations to foster innovation, investment, and cross-border partnerships.
