Prime Minister Narendra Modi's three-day visit to France has resulted in several important agreements and declarations aimed at strengthening bilateral cooperation between the two nations in the coming years.
Spanning technology, nuclear energy, sustainability, and cultural ties, the Prime Minister's visit underscored the deepening Indo-French partnership. ]PM Modi and his 'friend' President Emmanuel Macron co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris, held bilateral talks and also addressed a meeting of business leaders.
India-France declaration on Artificial Intelligence (AI): Both nations committed to enhancing collaboration in AI research and applications, emphasising ethical and responsible AI development.
Launch of India-France Year of Innovation 2026 logo: The two countries unveiled the official logo for the upcoming initiative, signifying their commitment to fostering innovation and scientific collaboration.
Indo-French Center for Digital Sciences: A Letter of Intent was signed between India's Department of Science and Technology (DST) and France's Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique (INRIA) to establish a dedicated center for digital sciences, furthering research and development.
Support for Indian startups: In a bid to boost entrepreneurship, an agreement was signed to host 10 Indian startups at the renowned French startup incubator, Station F.
Partnership on advanced modular and small modular reactors: A Declaration of Intent was signed to enhance collaboration on next-generation nuclear reactor technologies.
Renewal of MoU on nuclear energy cooperation – The agreement between India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and France's Commissariat a IEnergie Atomique et aux Energies Alternatives (CEA) was renewed, strengthening the nuclear energy partnership.
Cooperation between nuclear research institutions: A new implementing agreement was signed between DAE and CEA to foster collaboration between India’s Global Center for Nuclear Energy Partnership (GCNEP) and France’s Institute for Nuclear Science and Technology (INSTN).
Triangular development cooperation: India and France issued a joint declaration of intent to collaborate on development projects in the Indo-Pacific region, focusing on sustainability and economic growth.
India’s consulate in Marseille: PM Modi and French officials jointly inaugurated India's new consulate in Marseille, further strengthening people-to-people ties and diplomatic presence.
Environmental partnership: A Declaration of Intent was signed between India’s Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and France’s Ministry for the Ecological Transition to enhance cooperation in biodiversity conservation, climate action, and sustainable development.
Source: India Today