What to Expect from French President Macron's Upcoming Visit to India for the AI Impact Summit
Macron's Upcoming Visit to India
New Delhi: French President Emmanuel Macron has announced his visit to India for the AI Impact Summit scheduled for February.
During a recent address to the Diplomatic Corps, he highlighted the achievements of French diplomacy in 2025, particularly regarding the Artificial Intelligence summit held in Paris.
Macron stated, “Let’s take a moment to reflect on our collective achievements, especially the AI summit where we made significant strides alongside Prime Minister Modi. I will be in India next month to continue our discussions.”
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar previously indicated during a meeting with his French counterpart, Jean-Noël Barrot, that India is looking forward to President Macron's visit. He emphasized the importance of their collaboration for both bilateral relations and global stability.
Earlier, Jaishankar met with Macron in Paris, reinforcing the robust India-France strategic partnership and discussing current global issues amid a time of significant geopolitical shifts.
In a post on social media platform X, Jaishankar expressed, “I was pleased to meet President @EmmanuelMacron today and convey PM @narendramodi's warm regards. I value his insights on global developments and the positive outlook for our Strategic Partnership.”
Delighted to call on President @EmmanuelMacron of France today and convey warm wishes of PM @narendramodi.
Deeply appreciate his perspectives on contemporary global developments and positive sentiments for our Strategic Partnership.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) January 8, 2026
India and France have a longstanding strategic partnership that encompasses defense, space exploration, civil nuclear collaboration, clean energy initiatives, and the Indo-Pacific region.
The AI Impact Summit 2026 was announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the France AI Action Summit and is set to take place on February 19-20 in New Delhi.
This summit will mark the first global AI conference hosted in the Global South.
In preparation for the summit, Prime Minister Modi recently held a roundtable discussion with Indian AI startups at his residence, urging them to develop ethical, unbiased, and transparent AI models that prioritize data privacy.
He encouraged these startups to aim for global leadership, emphasizing India's potential to foster affordable and inclusive AI solutions and promote frugal innovation worldwide.
PM Modi also underscored the transformative role of artificial intelligence in society.