PM’s Europe visit begins in Nice, with tech and bilateral ties in focus

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NEW DELHI: The outcomes from the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron held in Nice, France on Sunday consisted frameworks for various strategic cooperations between the two leaders. The two leaders adopted the India-France Innovation Roadmap 2030, a framework designed to deepen cooperation in critical and emerging technologies, artificial intelligence, startups and innovation ecosystems. The roadmap also seeks to promote academic mobility, strengthen industry-academia partnerships and encourage the development of joint solutions to global challenges. Joint AI governance mechanism The two leaders agreed to establish a Joint India-France AI Working Group focused on AI governance.

The mechanism will provide a structured platform for collaboration on research and development, capacity building, academic exchanges, industry partnerships and startup linkages in the rapidly evolving AI sector. Aeronautics skilling centre in Kanpur India and France announced the establishment of a National Centre of Excellence for Skilling in Aeronautics and Allied Sectors at the National Skill Training Institute in Kanpur. The initiative is expected to strengthen workforce readiness, research capabilities and institutional cooperation in aviation, aerospace manufacturing and maintenance, repair and overhaul services.

UPI expands its footprint in France The two sides announced the expansion of the Unified Payments Interface (UPI) to Paris Airport and Nice. The move will make digital transactions easier for Indian tourists, students, members of the diaspora, business travellers and official delegations, while further extending India's digital public infrastructure presence in Europe. More opportunities for Indian startups An additional 10 Indian startups will be incubated at Station F, one of Europe's leading startup hubs.

The programme will provide Indian firms access to French investors, mentors, corporates and market networks, supporting the international expansion of India's AI and deep-tech ecosystem. Centre of Digital Sciences India's Department of Science and Technology and France's Institut National de Recherche en Sciences et Technologies du Numérique will establish a Centre of Digital Sciences. The centre is expected to support joint research, technology development, talent mobility and capacity building in priority digital sectors. New academic and cultural collaboration A new ICCR India Chair on "AI, Innovation and Culture" will be established at Université Paris-Saclay. The initiative aims to strengthen academic and cultural cooperation, while promoting research, teaching and knowledge-sharing in emerging technologies and innovation. Health data and AI-driven research The Indian Council of Medical Research and France's Health Data Hub will launch a pilot project focused on secure and consent-based health data collaboration.

The initiative is expected to support AI-driven medical research, strengthen health data governance and create a framework for future international cooperation in the sector. Push to double bilateral trade India and France agreed to create a high-level annual mechanism to help achieve the goal of doubling bilateral trade over the next five years. The platform will monitor progress, address sector-specific challenges and identify new opportunities for economic cooperation. Economic Security Dialogue The two countries also instituted an Economic Security Dialogue focused on strategic sectors such as critical minerals, semiconductors, critical technologies, energy and cybersecurity. The initiative is aimed at strengthening economic resilience and enhancing cooperation in areas of strategic importance. Railway and high-speed rail cooperation A Declaration of Intent on railway and high-speed railway development in India was signed during the visit.

The agreement is expected to support railway modernisation efforts, strengthen supply chains and foster cooperation between Indian and French institutions and industry partners. Secure exchange of classified information India and France concluded a General Security Agreement on the Exchange and Protection of Classified Information. The agreement provides a legal framework for the secure sharing of sensitive information and is expected to bolster defence cooperation, industrial collaboration and Make in India initiatives. Stronger partnership in space exploration Space cooperation received a boost through a Letter of Intent between ISRO and the French space agency CNES covering microgravity research and human space exploration. The partnership is expected to support India's Gaganyaan mission, the planned Bharatiya Antariksh Station and broader collaboration in human spaceflight and space research.