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French Prez Macron in India from Feb 17 for 3-day visit, AI Impact Summit
France is one of India’s closest strategic partners in Europe and a key supplier of defence equipment such as the Rafale jets and Scorpene submarines
French President Emmanuel Macron will visit India next week for talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation and to participate in the AI Impact Summit.
Macron will begin the three-day visit in Mumbai on February 17, when the two leaders are set to jointly inaugurate the India-France Year of Innovation, which will be celebrated throughout 2026 in both countries.
France is one of India’s closest strategic partners in Europe and a key supplier of defence equipment such as the Rafale combat jets and Scorpene submarines. Macron’s visit follows Modi’s trip to France in February 2025 and reflects the “mutual trust and depth of the India-France strategic partnership”, the external affairs ministry said while announcing the visit on Tuesday.
The substantial meeting between Modi and Macron is expected to be held in Mumbai, people familiar with the matter said.
Their discussions will focus on strengthening bilateral cooperation across a wide range of areas in line with the Horizon 2047 roadmap, the ministry said. They will discuss regional and global issues of mutual interest, including cooperation in the Indo-Pacific.
After the engagements in Mumbai, Macron will participate in the AI Impact Summit in New Delhi on February 19. Macron will be the second world leader to be hosted by Modi in Mumbai after UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who made the country’s financial hub the destination for his first official visit last October.
France and India co-chaired the AI Action Summit in February 2025, and the innovation and science and technology partnerships are a key part of the Horizon 2047 roadmap. The bilateral Year of Innovation will focus on collaborative events for innovation in different sectors, including culture, trade and technology.
