PM Modi reflects on India-France ties as he jointly inaugurated Bharat Innovates conclave with Macron

PRIME Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron jointly inaugurated the 'Bharat Innovates 2026' conclave in Nice, France, on Sunday.

The conclave aims to bring together leading startups, innovators, and venture capital funds from India, France, and several other countries. The event, which brings together leading startups from India, France, and countries across the globe, marks a significant step forward in the India-France Year of Innovation, underscoring the deepening technological collaboration between New Delhi and Paris.

The three-day innovation conclave, running from 14 June to 16 June, serves as a powerful platform to connect Indian innovators with global investors, industry leaders, and academic institutions, ANI reported.
Macron welcomes PM Modi in France

The French President welcomed PM Modi to France. Inaugurating the event, he said, "It is a huge honour, dear Prime Minister Narendra Modi, to welcome you here in Nice. A few months ago, we jointly launched the 'Year of French-India Innovation' in Mumbai."

He added, "India, a nation driven by research and innovation, is at the forefront of global innovation. And if I were to cite just one example of what you can do, the space sector stands out as the best illustration. With the Chandrayaan-3 mission, the feat of landing on the Moon's south pole was accomplished in record time, thereby demonstrating India's strength and innovative capability..."

PM Modi reflects on India-France ties

Addressing innovators and venture capitalists at the event, PM Modi reflected on India-France ties. He noted, "Different countries across the world do trade with each other and also strike strategic partnerships with each other. But there are few relations which are driven by shared vision, besides shared interests. India-France relations are one such tie."

PM Modi noted that during his visit to India, Macron had said that for the solutions to the challenges of this century, New Delhi and Paris will have to step forward together, and added, "I can proudly say today that this initiative is a step forward in that direction. This platform of 'Bharat Innovates' is becoming a bridge between Indian talent and European capital - a platform where India's young minds are receiving the opportunity to connect with European expertise."

PM Modi gets a warm welcome in Nice

PM Modi received a warm welcome from Macron in Nice, where the two leaders greeted each other with a hug and a handshake ahead of their key bilateral engagement and the joint launch of the Bharat Innovates 2026 conclave.

Before jointly inaugurating the conclave, PM Modi interacted with investors, venture capitalists, and innovation ecosystem leaders in Nice. Among those he met were OYO Rooms CEO Ritesh Agarwal and Indian entrepreneur Ronnie Screwvala, along with several global investors and innovation ecosystem leaders.

Bharat Innovates 2026

Bharat Innovates is an initiative of the Education Ministry and features 120 Indian innovators, 15-odd Higher Education Institutions (HEIs), and over 500 investors, including leading corporates and venture capital firms, along with global CEOs and industry leaders.

The event will cover 13 key sectors such as advanced computing, semiconductors, space technology, biotechnology, energy, healthcare, and manufacturing, highlighting India’s growing innovation and deep-tech ecosystem.

The three-day conclave will spotlight cutting-edge innovations across future-focused domains such as advanced computing, semiconductors, space technology, defence innovation, biotechnology, healthcare, and climate solutions.

According to the Press Information Bureau (PIB), the maiden edition will showcase New Delhi's deep-tech innovators and startups to global investors and industry leaders in France. The event will serve as a high-impact platform for advancing innovation-led partnerships between India and global stakeholders.