Modi and Macron Launch Bharat Innovates 2026 in France

The opening day featured a series of keynote speeches, panel discussions and strategic dialogues focused on international collaboration and technology-driven growth.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron jointly inaugurated the first edition of Bharat Innovates 2026 in Nice, France, marking a significant step in strengthening innovation and technology partnerships between India and the global innovation community.

Organised by the Government of India through the Ministry of Education, the event has brought together innovators, academic institutions, investors, industry leaders and policymakers on a common platform to explore opportunities in deep technology, research collaboration and startup growth.

India's Innovation Strengths Take Centre Stage

Bharat Innovates 2026 is showcasing the capabilities of India's rapidly expanding deep-tech ecosystem through the participation of 120 innovators, more than 15 higher education institutions and over 500 global stakeholders. The event covers a wide range of sectors including artificial intelligence, semiconductors, biotechnology, advanced computing, healthcare, energy, manufacturing and space technology.

The opening day featured a series of keynote speeches, panel discussions and strategic dialogues focused on international collaboration and technology-driven growth. One of the key addresses was delivered by Infosys founder N. R. Narayana Murthy, who spoke about the role of educational institutions in nurturing future entrepreneurs and technology leaders.

Drawing on the early journey of Infosys, he highlighted how strong values, complementary talent, innovation and transparent governance help transform ideas into globally respected enterprises. He also stressed the importance of research and higher education institutions in converting knowledge into innovation and long-term societal impact.

More Than 30 Global Partnerships Announced

A major outcome of the event was the signing of more than 30 partnership agreements to strengthen collaboration between Indian and international innovation ecosystems. These included 12 agreements between Indian higher education institutions, incubators and global innovation centres to support entrepreneurship, research and startup development. Another 16 agreements were signed with leading international corporations to help Indian innovators accelerate technology development, commercialisation and access to global markets.

The event also witnessed the signing of 13 partnership agreements between French universities and 11 Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), along with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The collaborations will focus on student exchanges, joint research programmes, innovation support and talent development.

Adding another dimension to the partnership, the India-France ATL Bridge initiative was launched through collaboration between Atal Innovation Mission and La Foundation Dassault Systèmes. The initiative will establish the first School Innovation Lab in France based on India's Atal Tinkering Lab model and encourage collaboration among young innovators from both countries.

Focus on Responsible AI and Deep-Tech Growth

Artificial intelligence emerged as one of the central themes of the event. During discussions on "AI for Global Good," experts from India and France explored ways to build trusted, inclusive and scalable AI systems that can serve global needs.

Participants highlighted India's growing strengths in developing affordable and locally relevant AI solutions while emphasizing the importance of open-source collaboration, sovereign AI capabilities and international research partnerships. Discussions also focused on venture funding, commercialization pathways and creating stronger global networks for deep-tech innovation.

With strong participation from governments, universities, startups and investors, Bharat Innovates 2026 has positioned itself as a major platform for connecting Indian innovation with global opportunities and accelerating the next generation of technology-driven partnerships.