India-France Year of Innovation 2026 inaugurated
India’s AI market, estimated at US$1.7 billion and growing over 30% annually, offers major opportunities for co-development, investment and innovation, says Business France, which led more than 110 French companies to AI Impact Summit & Expo 2026 held in New Delhi 16-20 Feb.
The companies engaged with India’s key public, private, and academic stakeholders at the expo, demonstrating India’s and France’s determination to accelerate joint research, industrial cooperation, and large-scale AI deployment. The India–France Year of Innovation 2026 was inaugurated at the expo.
Building on India’s dynamic digital ecosystem and France’s global leadership in ethical, sovereign and high-performance AI, President Emmanuel Macron joined Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reaffirming the deepening scale and strategic ambition of Indo-French cooperation in artificial intelligence, deep tech and industrial innovation.
At the heart of this diplomatic and economic momentum, Damien Syed, Deputy Chief of Mission of the French Embassy in India inaugurated the largest international pavilion at the India AI Impact Summit & Expo.
The 436 m² French Pavilion brought together 29 leading French companies, including 23 exhibitors and six strategic partners, showcasing cutting-edge AI, cybersecurity, industrial automation, digital infrastructure, mobility, energy, agritech, and deep tech solutions.
Strategic partners included CMA CGM, TotalEnergies, Capgemini, Schneider Electric, and MBDA, all of which demonstrated the strength and diversity of France’s industrial and technological ecosystem. Exhibitors ranged from major global groups to fast–growing innovators such as Adopt AI Summit, Agreenculture, Agence Française de Développement, Air Liquide, Atos, Axon Interconnectors and Wires, Brad Technology, Bull, Capgemini, CMA CGM, Dassault Systèmes, ENGIE, France Datacenter, INFOTEL, Prisme.ai, Safran.AI, Schneider Electric, Soufflet Malt Alwar Private Limited, Sopra Steria, SYSTRA, TNP Consultants, TotalEnergies and Valeo, all showcasing cutting edge technologies, industrial performance, and high–impact solutions that reflect France’s leadership in innovation.
Throughout the five days, the French Pavilion delivered a remarkably rich and intensive programme of high-level exchanges. The agenda opened with a Smart & Sustainable Agriculture panel, and continued with sessions on Responsible and Ethical AI, Decarbonising India’s Energy Systems, and AI Infrastructure & Cloud Foundations.
The programme further featured a Capgemini demonstration on real-world enterprise AI deployment, an AI Use Cases Across Industries panel, and several technical showcases, including next-generation data-centre cooling technologies, and sector-specific discussions on mobility, health, cybersecurity and industrial transformation.
Among the standout moments were CMA CGM’s live demonstration of Digital Twin–enabled maritime operations, and a dedicated “France Session” highlighting pathways to scale trusted, sovereign and high-performance AI. The week culminated in a landmark closing address by Yann LeCun, one of the world’s foremost AI pioneers.
High Level Visits Signal Deepening Strategic Cooperation
The French Pavilion drew exceptional visibility with visits from the highest level political and scientific leader, said Business France and the Trade & Investment Commission, under the aegis of the French Embassy in India.
Anne Le Hénanff, Minister Delegate for AI and Digital Affairs, visited the Pavilion, emphasizing France’s commitment to responsible AI governance and international cooperation. Yann LeCun, Executive Chairman at AMI Labs, former Chief AI Scientist at Meta and one of the world’s leading AI researchers, engaged with stakeholders in the Pavilion for an insightful fireside chat, strengthening intellectual exchange between France’s research community and India’s innovation ecosystem.
Additional high-level visitors included Clara Chappaz, Ambassador for Digital Technology and Artificial Intelligence, and Anne Bouverot, Co-Chair of France’s AI & Digital Council and the French President’s Special Envoy for Artificial Intelligence, further underscoring the Pavilion’s central role as a hub for strategic dialogue.
These visits and participation demonstrate the central role the French Pavilion played as a platform for strategic dialogue and high-level Franco-Indian engagement.
A Week Marking New Momentum in France–India Technological Partnership
Throughout the week, French innovators showcased practical, scalable and high–impact AI and industry solutions tailored to India’s needs, aligning with the country’s vision for AI for all, digital sovereignty, and sustainable innovation.
The success of the French Pavilion, together with the broader momentum generated throughout the week, underscores the strategic significance of deepening a unified France-India innovation ecosystem, with the capacity to influence the global trajectory of AI, technological governance and industrial transformation.
More than 1,100 French companies operate in India, generating over 350,000 jobs – a long-term commitment to the market, said the two organizers.
With more than 1,400 employees in France and 53 countries, Business France helped generate Euro1.8 billion in additional export revenue for French SMEs in 2024, creating or planning over 31,010 jobs. The agency supported 66% of 1,688 foreign investment decisions in 2024, representing 69% of the 37,787 jobs projected to be created or maintained within three years. Fiinews.com
