Narendra Modi and Emmanuel Macron met in Mumbai on 17 February 2026, during the French president’s official visit to India. The leaders launched the India–France Year of Innovation and agreed to upgrade bilateral relations to a Special Global Strategic Partnership.
This report covers the February meeting and its announced outcomes. It is based on the official joint statement and published list of agreements.
When did Modi and Macron meet in Mumbai?
The bilateral talks took place on 17 February. Macron’s visit ran from 17 to 19 February and included participation in the AI Impact Summit. According to the India–France joint statement, this was his fourth visit to India.
What changed in the India–France partnership?
The new partnership designation was accompanied by an annual foreign ministers’ dialogue to review cooperation. The joint statement links this process to the Horizon 2047 roadmap, adopted in 2023 to guide the countries’ long-term relationship.
Key announcements from the visit
The official outcomes list identifies several concrete initiatives:
- Innovation: the Year of Innovation and an India–France Innovation Network.
- Aviation: inauguration of the H125 helicopter final assembly line at Vemagal in Karnataka.
- Defence: renewal of the bilateral defence cooperation agreement and a BEL–Safran joint venture for HAMMER missile production in India.
- Research: cooperation on advanced materials, digital sciences and critical minerals.
- Health and skills: an AI-in-health centre at AIIMS, New Delhi, alongside plans for aeronautics training cooperation.
- Energy: renewal of a renewable-energy cooperation memorandum.
How to interpret the announcements
The outcomes include different instruments: inaugurations, agreements, memoranda and letters of intent. Their inclusion in the visit’s results does not establish that every proposed facility is operational or every project is complete. Implementation should be assessed against subsequent updates from the organisations involved.
Where does artificial intelligence fit?
The joint statement places AI, research and digital cooperation within the broader partnership. For background on India’s domestic AI sector, read our Sarvam AI explainer. That article provides separate industry context; it is not evidence of a Sarvam agreement at this meeting.
Sources and scope
The linked government documents are the primary sources for this report. The article summarises announcements made during the February 2026 visit and does not present them as fresh breaking news.
