NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to arrive in France on Monday for a two-day official visit, where he will co-chair the highly anticipated AI Action Summit alongside French President Emmanuel Macron. The summit, held at Paris’ Grand Palais, brings together world leaders, top tech executives, and policymakers to discuss AI’s impact on global innovation, security, and governance.
Who’s attending?
The summit will feature key figures, including US Vice President JD Vance, Chinese Vice Premier Zhang Guoqing, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. Tech heavyweights like OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Google chief Sundar Pichai will also participate, alongside CEOs and officials from over 80 countries.
What’s on the agenda?
AI safety remains a central theme, but this edition will also cover AI-driven economic opportunities, ethical challenges, and global regulatory frameworks. A key focus will be on DeepSeek, a Chinese startup that has disrupted the AI landscape with its low-cost, high-performance models.
France aims to use the event to highlight its AI ambitions, with Macron pushing for a stronger European AI ecosystem. French startup Mistral, known for its open-source AI model, is expected to gain significant attention.
Modi-Macron talks: Strengthening India-France ties
Beyond AI, Modi’s visit will focus on strengthening the India-France strategic partnership, aligned with the 2047 Horizon Roadmap. Discussions will cover collaborations in technology, trade, and defense. A major highlight will be their visit to Marseille, where they will inaugurate India’s first consulate in France, further bolstering diplomatic ties. Modi will also tour the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, where India plays a key role in advancing nuclear fusion research for sustainable energy.
Fostering AI advances
The AI Summit aims to drive innovation in sectors like health, education, environment, and culture. A global public-private partnership, “Current AI,” will be launched to support large-scale AI initiatives serving the general interest.
“The Paris summit is the first time we’ll have had such a broad international discussion in one place on the future of AI,” said Linda Griffin, Vice President of Public Policy at Mozilla. “I see it as a norm-setting moment.”
Nick Reiners, senior geotechnology analyst at Eurasia Group, emphasized the opportunity to shift AI governance away from concentrated corporate power toward a more public-interest-driven approach. However, it remains uncertain whether the United States will support such initiatives.
Macron’s AI push and China’s stance
France plans to announce AI private investments worth 109 billion euros ($113 billion) over the coming years, a move Macron likened to Trump’s Stargate AI data centers project. To spark debate on AI’s risks and potential, Macron posted a series of deepfake videos of himself on Instagram, manipulating his voice and image in various parodies.
Meanwhile, China has opposed restrictions on AI access, with Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun calling for open-source AI technology to ensure equitable benefits worldwide. The release of DeepSeek has already sparked calls in the US Congress for restrictions on its use for security reasons.
India’s AI role: Preventing a US-China dominance
By co-hosting the summit, Modi seeks to bring more global actors into AI development and prevent the field from becoming a battleground between the US and China. Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri stressed the need for equitable AI access to avoid “perpetuating a digital divide that already exists across the world.”
Defense deals on the horizon
France has become a key defense partner for India, with ongoing talks for the purchase of 26 Rafale fighter jets and three Scorpene submarines. Indian officials say negotiations are in the final phase and a deal could be signed in the coming weeks.
With AI, diplomacy, and geopolitics at the forefront, Modi’s visits to France and the US signal a strategic push for India’s role in shaping global tech and policy frameworks.
Next stop: The US for talks with Trump
Following his France visit, Modi will travel to the United States for a high-profile meeting with President Donald Trump—their first since Trump’s return to the White House. Talks will focus on technology, trade, defense, energy, and global supply chains, reinforcing the Comprehensive Global Strategic Partnership between India and the US.