French President Emmanuel Macron called India a leader in global innovation, not just a participant. Speaking at the India-France Innovation Forum on February 17, Macron noted that a number of global executives are from India and are leading the technology charge.
“The CEO of Alphabet is Indian. The CEO of Microsoft is Indian. The CEO of IBM is Indian. The CEO of Adobe is Indian. The CEO of Palo Alto Networks is Indian. The CEO of Chanel is from Kolhapur, right here in this state…India is not only involved in global innovation; India is leading it…” he noted.
Macron was referring to Sundar Pichai, Satya Nadella, Arvind Krishna, Shantana Narayen, Nikesh Arora and Leena Nair, respectively, CEOs of global software, technology and fashion companies he named. Chanel is a French luxury fashion house founded in 1910 by the famous designer Coco Chanel.
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WATCH: France’s Emmanuel Macron on India as a leader in innovation
Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar among others were also present at the event.
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India-France Bilateral Relations ‘Force for Global Stability’
Modi and Macron characterized the bilateral relationship as a “force for global stability” amid growing international geopolitical volatility as they announced that India and France had strengthened their ties to a “special global strategic partnership” and pledged to strengthen cooperation in the trade, defense and essential minerals sectors.
Modi added that amid geopolitical events — the Russia-Ukraine war, tensions in West Asia and the Indo-Pacific region — both India and France are committed to democratic principles, the rule of law and a multipolar global order. “The world is going through a period of uncertainty. In such an environment, the India-France partnership is a force for global stability. We bring together French expertise and India’s scale,” Modi said in a media statement.
The Modi-Macron dialogue comprehensively covered a range of topics including defense and security synergy, trade and capital investment, co-production, logistics of critical minerals, research and innovation and academic exchange. The two signed 21 agreements and documents to increase cooperation in the fields of advanced technology, defense, healthcare, strategic minerals and sustainable energy.
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Macron in India; attend AI Impact Summit 2026
President Emmanuel Macron is on a three-day visit to India. Along with First Lady Brigitte Macron, he was received by Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and Governor Acharya Devvrat at the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport in Mumbai on Monday evening.
Following the launch of the Indo-French Year of Innovation, the French President posted part of his opening speech, captioning it “Jai Ho!”
This is Macron’s fourth visit to India and first to Mumbai. The visit comes a year after Prime Minister Modi’s trip to France. He is also expected to attend the AI Impact Summit 2026 at the Bharat Mandapam in New Delhi on February 18, 2026 along with Modi.
In particular, sectors including advanced materials, biotechnology, critical minerals, emerging technologies, MSMEs, space technologies and startups will remain in the spotlight as both countries now look forward to signing more MOUs.
(With input from agencies)