The partnership was signed on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. | Photo credit: RUHANI KAUR
The Ministry of Electronics, Information Technology, Biotechnology and Science & Technology, Government of Karnataka has signed a Letter of Intent (LoI) with VivaTech, a startup and innovation event in Europe, to create a structured Europe-India startup and innovation corridor anchored by the Bengaluru Tech Summit (BTS).
The partnership, signed on the sidelines of the AI Impact Summit, reflects BTS and VivaTech’s joint intent to strengthen innovation ecosystems and foster cross-border collaboration between startups, corporations, investors and public stakeholders in India, France and Europe.
The LoI would serve as a framework for structured engagement and future program collaboration with a clear focus on expanding global market access, investor linkages and corporate partnerships for the Karnataka startup ecosystem.
Priyank Kharge, Minister for IT, Biotechnology and Rural Development, Government of Karnataka said, “This is a progressive step for both our ecosystems. I have seen VivaTech first-hand – the scale of disruption and innovation is truly remarkable. It is a powerful platform for our startups to access the French and wider European markets.”
This collaboration would help create a long-term technological partnership between France and the city of Bengaluru, especially against the backdrop of the Indo-French Year of Innovation 2026, the minister said.
“By anchoring this commitment through the Bengaluru Tech Summit, we are building a strong innovation bridge between Europe and India that enables our founders to think bigger, scale faster and compete globally in AI, deep and emerging technologies,” he added.
Under the pact, the two sides will work together on the exchange of launches and delegations, cooperation in priority areas such as AI, ClimateTech, DeepTech, games, semiconductors and other emerging technologies, ecosystem promotion and branding, which includes mutual promotion of flagship events and structured participation on countries or regions.
Published – 21 Feb 2026 12:50 IST
