Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday jointly inaugurated Bharat Innovates 2026, a flagship innovation conclave aimed at showcasing India’s rapidly expanding startup ecosystem and deepening technology collaboration between the two countries.
Held under the India-France Year of Innovation, the three-day event has been conceived as a global platform to connect Indian startups, researchers and higher education institutions with international investors, corporations and technology partners. The initiative is expected to facilitate investments, technology transfer, joint research, market access and cross-border collaborations, while helping Indian innovations scale globally and strengthening India-France cooperation in emerging technologies.
Addressing the gathering, Modi described the India-France partnership as one driven by shared values and a common vision for the future.
“There are some relations which are driven by shared vision, along with shared interest. The relation between France and India is like that. In this relation, there is connection as well as conviction. In this relation, there is innovation and inspiration. In this relation, there is shared values and shared vision,” he said.
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India now a provider of global solutions: PM Modi
The Prime Minister said innovation had been an integral part of India’s civilisational ethos and continued to shape its development journey.
“Innovation is in India’s DNA. For thousands of years, India has shown direction to the world through its innovations,” he said.
Highlighting India's technological transformation, Modi said the country had moved beyond being a consumer of global technologies and was increasingly becoming a provider of solutions to global challenges.
“India has emerged not as a consumer of solutions but as a contributor to solutions in the world,” he said, adding that Indian innovators were developing technologies capable of benefiting humanity at large.
Modi said India’s vision was to create trusted, inclusive and human-centric technologies. Referring to artificial intelligence, he said the core of the country’s approach remained “AI for All”.
“We are no longer just adopters of technology, we are providers of technology. Whatever India innovates is aimed at benefiting humanity,” he said.
The Prime Minister also highlighted reforms undertaken by his government in sectors such as high technology, defence and innovation, asserting that the momentum would continue.
“India’s reform express will not stop, it will continue to run,” he said.
Inviting global innovators and investors to collaborate with India, Modi said Bharat Innovates would serve as a platform to shape the next phase of technological advancement.
“Bharat Innovates is an invitation to the world to co-create the next chapter of global innovation with India,” he said.
The event showcases innovations across strategic sectors including semiconductors, advanced computing, biotechnology, healthcare, energy, manufacturing and space technology.
India is a country of innovation: Macron
Bharat Innovates 2026 is expected to facilitate investment, technology transfer, research partnerships and international market access for Indian startups and innovation-led enterprises.
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