Prime Minister Narendra Modi is headed to Paris on Monday to co-chair the Artificial Intelligence Action Summit along with French President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday. The summit is expected to announce a key outcome — a foundation that will look at AI in the public interest to cater to the needs of the Global South. India and France will likely make announcements on small modular reactors, boosting civil nuclear cooperation. An India-France Triangular Development Cooperation initiative is also likely to be launched. The two countries will declare that 2026 will be celebrated as India-France Innovation year, and launch a logo. On Wednesday, Macron and Modi will visit the city of Marseille and inaugurate an Indian consulate there. Marseille is also a strategic telecommunications connection hub. Its location at the heart of the Mediterranean makes it the gateway for submarine cables linking Europe to Africa, West Asia and Asia. Submarine cables carry 99% of the world’s data traffic (internet and telephony). Macron’s invitation to Modi to co-chair the AI Summit is a significant gesture — a recognition of India’s expanding role in the domain of new and emerging technologies. The AI Summit will likely be attended by leaders including US Vice President J D Vance, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Sources said it will be an occasion for India to contribute towards “inclusive, responsible and equitable” development of AI and address several of its associated issues — risks, ethics, governance and accessibility. It would also be an occasion for India to share its views on democratisation of technology and what must be done to bring the benefits of AI to the Global South, sources said. From the summit in Paris, the two leaders will head to Marseille — a strategic gateway — and strategic ties have traditionally pivoted on defence, security, space, and civil nuclear energy collaboration is now fast expanding into areas such as tech, innovation, renewable energy, trade, economy, supply chain partnership and people to people relations. The logo of 2026 being celebrated as India-France Innovation year will be launched during the visit. The joint inauguration of the new Indian Consulate in Marseille points to growth in bilateral ties, but equally to expansion in India’s global diplomatic presence. The new Indian consulate in the south of France will strengthen people-to-people ties and boost economic partnership. To connect with the business community, the India-France CEOs forum meeting is to be held in Paris. Through the initiative on India-France Triangular Development Cooperation, both countries will aim to implement climate and SDG-focused projects in developing countries in the Indo-Pacific region. The two leaders will also visit International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) facilities close to Marseille. ITER is a major fusion technology project of global repute in which India is an active participant.
