New Delhi: Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Sunday said India is working towards becoming the world’s innovation partner and is committed to strengthening global collaboration in emerging technologies, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Addressing the inaugural session of the Bharat Innovates summit in Nice, France, Goyal said the initiative is aimed at transforming India’s innovation ecosystem into a global force while fostering meaningful international partnerships.
“While the theme of Bharat Innovates is a global accelerator for India’s education system, the real spirit is to concretise our efforts to be the world’s innovation partner,” the minister said.
He noted that the summit is being held during the India-France Year of Innovation 2026, providing an ideal platform to deepen cooperation between the two countries in technology and innovation.
“The year 2026, which is being celebrated as the India-France Year of Innovation, gives this initiative an appropriate setting. We are meeting at a moment when geopolitical developments and rapid advances in frontier technologies are reshaping the world,” he said.
Highlighting the growing strategic relationship between India and France, Goyal said bilateral ties were elevated earlier this year to a Special Global Strategic Partnership, reflecting the expanding scope of cooperation between the two nations.
He also pointed to the increasing collaboration between India and France in the field of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies.
Recalling recent engagements, the minister noted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi co-chaired the AI Action Summit in Paris in February 2025, while French President Emmanuel Macron participated in the AI Impact Summit hosted by India in February 2026.
Calling for deeper engagement between businesses and innovation ecosystems of the two countries, Goyal invited French companies, investors and entrepreneurs to explore opportunities in India.
“To our French partners, I urge you to use this opportunity to build meaningful partnerships. I invite our French friends to visit India, invest in India, design in India, innovate in India and manufacture in India, both for the large domestic market and for exports to the rest of the world,” he said.
The Bharat Innovates summit was jointly inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Nice.
The three-day event has brought together startups, venture capital funds, entrepreneurs, technology leaders, academic institutions and policymakers from India, France and several other countries.
The summit aims to facilitate innovation-led partnerships, investment opportunities and collaboration in sectors such as artificial intelligence, semiconductors, advanced computing, biotechnology, healthcare, climate technologies, manufacturing and space technology.
