‘2026 Special Year For India And Europe’
Technology can lead to progress, only when it is democratised, said PM Narendra Modi on Thursday, underlining the significance of access to technology and innovation and calling AI ‘All Inclusive’. Addressing VivaTech 2026 in Paris, Europe’s biggest technology event, Modi said India believes that in this era of disruption, technology must deliver for all.”Let us take the example of AI. AI must improve lives, widen access, drive growth and also help us sustain a healthy planet. Our participation as the AI Country Partner at VivaTech 2026 reflects this very vision. For India, AI means ‘All Inclusive’,” he said.Participating in the event alongside French President Emmanuel Macron, Modi highlighted India’s vision for a human-centric AI and frontier technologies, and the growing expanse of India-France cooperation in emerging technologies. He noted that technology had enabled transformative changes in India, from digital payments, AI-enabled agricultural progress to cutting-edge space applications, according to an Indian readout. Modi said that “2026 is a special year for India and Europe. At the beginning of the year, we concluded the historic India EU Free Trade Agreement. This agreement will expand our trade and investment. And, it will open up many pathways for the exchange of talent, technology and tourism”.Modi and Macron interacted with Indian start-ups and innovators displaying frontier technologies and practical solutions for industry, healthcare, sustainability, and mobility. According to the Indian govt, Modi’s participation in VivaTech is expected to further deepen partnerships between Indian and French technology ecosystems.”In 2021, when I addressed VivaTech, the world was facing the disruption of Covid-19. Today, the world is experiencing disruptions of other kinds. And I reiterate the message I shared then at VivaTech 2021. Where convention fails, innovation can help,” said Modi.A day earlier, speaking at a G7 session on AI, Modi had warned against the misuse of AI, saying that without safeguards, it could expose children to the risks of misinformation, deepfakes and exploitation. He had also called for strengthening global cooperation against deepfakes, misinformation, and cyber fraud.Modi said AI can educate children in their languages, boost their creativity, and personalise learning but without safeguards, it can expose them to risks.
