Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi holds meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron

Earlier today, French President Emmanuel Macron lauded India's digital transformation and its pioneering role in technology governance during his address at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, describing the nation's progress as a global benchmark.

Speaking at the summit, President Macron began by expressing his gratitude for the warm reception in India. "Namaste. Thank you very much for welcoming us to this magnificent city, in this magnificent country. It's great to be back after my 2024 state visit for this Artificial Intelligence Impact Summit hosted by you, Prime Minister," he said.

The French President highlighted the profound social impact of India's technological strides over the last decade. "10 years ago, a street vendor in Mumbai could not open a bank account. No address, no papers, no access and today the same vendor accepts payments on his phone," he remarked, illustrating the scale of financial inclusion achieved through digital means.

President Macron further emphasised that India has set a unique precedent that remains unmatched globally. "India built something that no other country in the world has built. A digital identity for 1.4 billion people. A payment system that now processes 20 billion transactions every month. A health infrastructure that has issued 500 million digital health IDs. Here are the results. They call it the India Stack Open Interoperable Sovereign," he noted.

He also stated that the current era marks the beginning of a rapid technological shift. "That is what this summit is about. We are clearly at the beginning of a huge acceleration, and you perfectly described it during your interventions," Macron added, acknowledging the Prime Minister's vision for the future of AI.

The French President and his wife arrived in Mumbai, Maharashtra, on Tuesday for their scheduled visit to India.

They were received by Maharashtra Governor Acharya Devvrat and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis at the Mumbai airport.

"Towards a stronger India-France strategic partnership! Warm welcome to President Emmanuel Macron of the French Republic. He was warmly received by the Governor of Maharashtra and Gujarat, Acharya Devvrat, at the Mumbai airport. During the visit, PM Narendra Modi will hold bilateral meeting with President Emmanuel Macron. Both leaders will launch Year of Innovation 2026. The visit will impart further momentum to the vibrant India-France strategic partnership," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

This visit signals sustained momentum in the India-France strategic partnership, with a particular focus on Artificial Intelligence (AI) cooperation and emerging technologies.

Following their Mumbai engagements, the delegation travelled to Delhi for the India AI Impact Summit 2026. Held at Bharat Mandapam from February 16 to 20, this event marks the first global AI summit hosted in the Global South. (ANI)