French President Emmanuel Macron on Sunday called for deeper cooperation with India on artificial intelligence (AI), energy, health and space, as he welcomed Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
"The question is not whether India innovates, but who will innovate with India," Macron said, describing India as "a very great nation of innovation" that has become "indispensable" in global technological development.
Macron said France and India had adopted a roadmap for 2030, sharing a common vision of "safe, open, secure, trustworthy, responsible and ethical" AI.
He praised India's technological achievements, including the Chandrayaan-3 lunar mission, and said the two countries should expand cooperation in strategic sectors ranging from clean energy and health research to advanced technologies.
The French president also highlighted long-standing cooperation in space, noting that the jointly developed TRISHNA Earth-observation satellite is expected to be launched from India next year.
Macron said France and India believe in "cooperation, open research, respect for international law and respect for independent nations," adding that stronger links between researchers, entrepreneurs and students would be key to the partnership's future.
Modi arrived in France to attend Bharat Innovates in Nice. The event is being held outside India for the first time as part of the France-India Year of Innovation initiative.
