In a move strengthening global alliances, PM Narendra Modi will host President Emmanuel Macron in Mumbai on February 17, 2026, during the French leader’s official India visit spanning February 17-19. This marks Macron’s debut in Mumbai and fourth overall to India, at Modi’s behest.
The afternoon’s bilateral huddle at Lok Bhawan, starting 3:15 PM, promises in-depth review of the India-France strategic partnership’s evolution. Emphasis will be on diversification into cutting-edge fields and fortifying bonds amid evolving geopolitics.
As dusk falls, around 5:15 PM, they inaugurate the Year of Innovation 2026 for India-France, engaging with a vibrant gathering of industry titans, startup pioneers, academic minds, and creative disruptors from both sides.
Talks will cover Horizon 2047’s collaborative pillars, regional hotspots like the Indo-Pacific, and shared global priorities. Macron caps his trip at New Delhi’s AI Impact Summit on February 19.
Synergizing with this, the India AI Impact Expo Summit launches February 16, inaugurated by Modi and featuring 13 countries’ envoys—from Japan and Italy to Estonia and African representatives—fostering AI ecosystem dialogues.
Defense dialogues intensify with the sixth annual summit in Bengaluru on February 17, jointly headed by defense ministers. It will holistically evaluate ties, accelerating defense manufacturing synergies. The leaders’ virtual ribbon-cutting for Tata Airbus’s H125 assembly in Vemgal underscores aviation ambitions.
This confluence of events heralds an era of amplified India-France synergy, driving progress in technology, security, and international stability.