Modi, Macron push India-France tech ties as G7 opens

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron used the former’s visit to France to push deeper cooperation in innovation, defense, technology and economic security, as global diplomacy shifted toward the G7 summit in Evian after a preliminary US-Iran deal eased fears over energy supplies.

Modi arrived in Nice as part of a wider Europe visit covering France and Slovakia. The French leg includes Nice, Evian and Paris, with India invited to the G7 outreach sessions hosted by France.

In Nice, Modi and Macron jointly inaugurated Bharat Innovates 2026 at the Palais des Expositions. The three-day event is intended to connect Indian deep-tech startups, researchers, innovators and investors with global capital and innovation networks. The event is being held against the backdrop of the India-France Year of Innovation.

Modi also held bilateral talks with Macron at Villa Kerylos on Sunday, 14 June. The Prime Minister’s Office said this was the first meeting between the two leaders since India-France ties were elevated earlier this year to a Special Global Strategic Partnership.

The two sides discussed cooperation in defense, civil nuclear energy, space, artificial intelligence, emerging technologies and economic security. The visit also comes as India and France seek to expand cooperation in advanced manufacturing and co-development, areas that have become more important as India pushes domestic production and France looks for strategic partners in defense technology.

The diplomatic setting has been reshaped by the US-Iran preliminary agreement to halt the war and reopen the Strait of Hormuz. The deal has lowered oil prices and eased immediate pressure on energy-importing economies, including India, but important questions remain over Iran’s nuclear program, sanctions relief and the durability of the ceasefire.

Modi welcomed the development, saying he hoped it would restore peace and stability in the Middle East. For India, the region is central to energy security, remittances, trade routes and the welfare of millions of Indian workers in the Gulf.

The G7 summit in Evian is expected to focus on the US-Iran deal, Ukraine, critical minerals, economic imbalances and supply-chain resilience.

Reuters reported that India is among the non-G7 countries invited to the summit, alongside countries including Brazil, Kenya and South Korea.

US President Donald Trump is also in France for the summit.

Barron’s reported that Trump’s schedule includes a meeting with the Prime Minister of India on Wednesday. If it takes place, the meeting would come at a sensitive moment for India-US ties, with trade, technology, defense cooperation, energy markets and the Iran deal all in play.

Modi’s France visit also gives New Delhi a chance to reinforce ties with a European partner that has been more willing than many Western governments to work with India on strategic autonomy, defense production and civil nuclear cooperation.