An AI-generated picture of French President Emmanuel Macron and Prime Minister Narendra Modi shared by the former on social media. Photo: X/@EmmanuelMacron
French President Emmanuel Macron posted an AI-generated image on X of himself standing alongside Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reinforcing the close technology partnership between the two countries. President Macron is on a three-day state visit to India and is the keynote speaker at the AI Impact Summit 2026 at the Bharat Mandapam in Delhi.
Also read | India AI Summit 2026 Day 4 LIVE
Mr Macron’s post, shared on X on Wednesday (February 19, 2026), read: “When friends come together, innovation follows. Ready for the AI Impact Summit!”. The image shows Mr Macron and Mr Modi with beaming smiles making the heart gesture. The post, indicating France’s active interest in supporting India in developing its AI infrastructure and mechanism, drew praise from netizens. Two white coffee mugs with India and France flag symbols are placed on the table.
When friends come together, innovation follows. Get ready for the AI Impact Summit! pic.twitter.com/oh4700pQ09
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 18, 2026
A photo of Mr Macron was jokingly captioned: “Yes, this is AI”. The image also tagged Mr. Modi and received over 28,000 likes and over 1,000 comments from social media users.
Macron’s trip to India
Earlier in the day, President Macron inaugurated the Franco-Indian Center for Artificial Intelligence in Health, jointly led by AIIMS, Sorbonne University and the Paris Brain Institute. A medical facility at AIIMS is expected to provide quality healthcare services to patients.
We are opening a Franco-Indian Center for Artificial Intelligence in Health in Delhi, jointly led by AIIMS, Sorbonne University and the Paris Brain Institute.
Research, training, innovation: France and India use artificial intelligence for the common good! pic.twitter.com/MCW9XPxUpo
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 18, 2026
Mr Macron’s nonchalant jog along Marine Drive, a long coastal promenade in south Mumbai, also surprised residents on Tuesday (February 17, 2026). “It sent a positive message about health to the youth of the city that hosts the marathons,” the Ministry of External Affairs said.
Mr Macron paid tribute to the victims of the 11/26 terror attacks at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai and reiterated the French country’s strong stance against terror. “In the face of terrorism, unity and determination,” he said. Later, Mr. Modi hosted a dinner for the French President. The visit follows the prime minister’s visit to France last year and marked the 20th meeting between the two leaders in the past few years.
Lunch with the Hindi film fraternity
Mr Macron also took a slice of Mumbai’s beauty by joining a lunch gathering on Wednesday (February 18, 2026) attended by stalwarts like Zoya Akhtar, Shabana Azmi, Manoj Bajpayee, Anil Kapoor, Kabir Khan, Neeraj Ghaywan and composer K. Rejninga Chadha
Posting the image on X, Mr Macron commented: “Apart from some legends of Indian cinema, culture unites us.”
Alongside legends of Indian cinema.
Culture unites us. pic.twitter.com/ceuen6L4a7
— Emmanuel Macron (@EmmanuelMacron) February 17, 2026
Praising the French president, actor Manoj Bajpayee wrote: “It was an honor to meet President Emmanuel Macron at lunch today along with other dignitaries. It stood out not only for the warmth of the interaction with him, but for the clarity and depth of the exchange of information about cinema, culture and the role of storytelling in building bridges between these countries and culture that can work closely in France and culture. how important thoughtful leadership and cultural dialogue in today’s world”.
It was an honor to meet President Emmanuel Macron and other dignitaries at lunch today. What stood out was not just the warmth of the interaction with him, but the clarity and depth of the exchange around film, culture and the role of storytelling in building… pic.twitter.com/nM34Mbpfzw
— manoj bajpayee (@BajpayeeManoj) February 17, 2026
Similarly, Anil Kapoor mentioned, “Spent an inspiring afternoon with President Emmanuel Macron and his significant other, Brigitte, exchanging ideas on film, culture and the mighty bridge between India and France”.
He spent an inspiring afternoon with President Emmanuel Macron and his significant other Brigitte exchanging ideas on film, culture and the mighty bridge between India and France.
Here to India 🇮🇳 x France 🇫🇷
And to many more stories waiting to be told… pic.twitter.com/UkNzhcKxKG
— Anil Kapoor (@AnilKapoor) February 17, 2026
Published – 19 Feb 2026 12:12 PM IST