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French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday cited India's Chandrayaan-3 mission as a defining example of the country's growing technological capabilities, saying the first-ever landing near the Moon's South Pole in July 2023, demonstrated India's strengths in innovation, research and industrial implementation.
Addressing the Bharat Innovates Launch 2026, Macron said that the mission had helped reshape how the world views India as a leading force in global innovation. Stating that France sees India as a natural innovation partner, Macron pointed to the country's demographic advantages and strong talent base. He said, "So why is it obvious for France to believe in that capacity to innovate in India? Well, I would say to put it bluntly, you have the demographic dividends." Macron noted that India's vast population and emphasis on education and research have created a formidable pool of skilled professionals. He said, "A country with 1.4 billion inhabitants, a country who pays on know-how and research, knowledge, and training as many engineers as Europe and the US come in more than one million per year." Describing India as a major driver of technological advancement, Macron added, "In every respect, a country with research innovations and frontier models is spearheading global innovation." The French President then turned to India's achievements in space exploration, singling out Chandrayaan-3 as an example of the country's growing influence in cutting-edge technologies. "If I only had to mention the one example on what you can do, airspace is the perfect example," Macron said. "With the Chandrayaan 3 mission in July 2023, which allowed the very first moon landing on the south pole of the moon that was led in record time by ISRO with record cost, is a demonstration in terms of strengths, innovation, but also in terms of implementations at the industrial level," he added. According to Macron, the success of the lunar mission has transformed international perceptions of India and underscored its role as a technology leader. It "has led many countries of the world to see India how it's like today." Rejecting the notion that India is merely a hub for outsourced services, he said, "It's not only a country full of contractors. No, absolutely not." He added, "It's a country of innovation and disrupting country in terms of technologies." Chandrayaan-3 is the Indian Space Research Organisation's (ISRO) historic lunar mission that made India the fourth country to soft-land on the Moon and the first to reach its unexplored southern polar region. Launched on July 14, 2023, the spacecraft successfully landed on August 23, 2023. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron today jointly inaugurated the 'Bharat Innovates 2026' conclave in Nice, bringing together leading startups, innovators and venture capital funds from India, France and several other countries. The high-profile event, which brings together top innovation startups from India, France and the world, marks a crucial milestone in the ongoing 'India-France Year of Innovation' and underscores the rapidly expanding tech partnership between the two nations. The three-day innovation conclave, running from June 14 to June 16, serves as a powerful platform to connect Indian innovators with global investors, industry leaders and academic institutions. (ANI)
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